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Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microroproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  da  microraproductions  historiquas 


i 


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This  hem  is  filmed  at  th«  reduction  ratio  chtckcd  btlow  / 

Ce  documtnt  eat  fitm<  au  taux  de  reduction  lndiqu<  ci-deticu>. 


lOx 


14x 


18x 


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16x 


20X 


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26x 


30x 


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24x 


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32x 


TtM  copy  fllmad  h«r«  has  b—n  raproducad  thanks 
to  tha  ganaroslty  of: 

DwM  Porter  Arts  Library 
UniMnityofWitwIoo 

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Dww  Portnr  Arts  Library 
UnimaityofWalarkM 

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filmaga. 


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whichever  applies. 


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darnMre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  sslon  Is 
cas:  la  symbols  -^>  signifis  "A  SUIVRE",  la 
symbola  ▼  signifie  "FIN". 


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et  de  haut  en  bes,  en  prenant  la  nombre 
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illustrent  la  mAthoda. 


1  2  3 


1 

2 

3 

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5 

6 

Mioocorr  rbsouition  tbt  cha«t 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2) 


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13.2 


116 


14.0 


1.8 


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The  Person  and  Work 

of 

The    Holy    Spirit 


By  R.  A.  TORRE Y,  D.D. 

LATEST  ISSUES 
TktVokt  tfGptHmtkt  J^$nU  Homr. 

Cloth 

1%t  Arum  ami  Work  oftht  Nofy  :^irii. 

Cloth  *••,.,,,, 
DiffiatlUa  and  AlUgtd  Errors  and  CoHtradU- 

tiontintlu  Bau,    Cloth     .    . 
fhuHetUand  PnpUxing  Qntstkm  Anmtrtd. 

Cloth    ••..•,.,. 

AntedoUsandJUmtratiam.    Illustrated. 
Cloth, 

FOR  REVIVAL  WORK 
How  to  Bring  Mm  to  Ckrist,    Clodi, 

Om  to  Work  fir  Christ.    Qoth    . 
How  to  Avmoto  and  Conduct  a  Sneets^ul 
Revival, 

REVIVAL  TALKS  AND  ADDRESSES 
Tk*  Bibb  and  lU  Christ,    Cloth. 

paper, 
Rntvat Addrtsus.  Cla,  pa., 

Rtal  Salvatum  and  Whob-HtarUd  Strvico, 
lamo,  cloth,  paper, 

FOR  BIBLE  STUDY 
What  the  BiUe  Teaches. 
What  the  Bible  has  to  S^  Concerninz  the  Great 

Doctrines  of  which  it  Treats.  Cloth, 
HowtoStu4it  the  BibUfor  Greatest  ,ProfiL 

Cloth    •••...,,, 

FOR  THE  CHRISTIAN  LIFE 

How  to  Succeed  in  the  ChrisUanLtfe.    Cloth, 
;  paper. 

Hew  to  Pray.    Cloth 

How  to  Obtain  Fullness  ofPmerixk  ChrutUn 

Life  and  Service.    Cloth .    .    , 
The  Babtism  With  the  Hofy  Spirit. 

A  Vest I^ketCb^nion fir OrtstimWorhers. 
Leatherette    ....... 


The  Person  and  Work 

of 

The    Holy    Spirit 


As  Revealed  in  the  Scriptures 
And  in  Personal  Experience 


By 
R.  A.  TORREY 


Nkw  York  Chicago  Toronto 

Fleming  H.  Revell   Company 

London  and  Edinburgh 


h 


Copyri|ht,  1910^  by 
IL  A.  TORRBV 


!  I 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  17  North  Wabash  Ave. 
London:  ai  Paternoster  Square 
FJiabuigh:     75    Princes    Street 


Contents 

I.  The  PiRtONALirr  op  the  Holy  Spirit  7 

II.  The  Deity  op  the  Holy  Spibit         .  15 

.  III.  The  Distinction  op  the  Holy  Spirit  prom 
THE  Father  and  prom  Hm  Son,  Juui 
Chrut 33 

IV.  The  Subordination  op  the  Spirit  to  the 

Father  and  to  the  Son         ...       36 

V.  The  Person  and  Work  op  the  Holy  Spirit 

AS  Revealed  in  His  Names     ...       39 

VI.  The  Work  op  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the 

Material  Universe        ....       77 

VII.  The  Holy  Spirit  Convicting  the  World 

OP  Sin,  op  Righteousness  and  op  Judgment       8 1 

VIII.  The  Holy  Spirit  Bearing  Witness  to  Jesus 

Christ 94, 

IX.  The    Regenerating    Work   op  the   Holy 

Spirit loi 

X.  The  Indwelling  Spirit  Fully  and  Forever 

Satisfying no 

XI.  The    Holy   Spirit    Setting   the   Believer 

Free  from  the  Power  op  Indwelling  Sin     1 16 

XII.  The  Holy  Spirit  Forming  Christ  Within 

Us 122 

XIII.  The  Holy  Spirit  Bringing  Forth  in  the  Be- 

liever Christlike  Graces  of  Character     1 27 

XIV.  The   Holy  Spirit  Guiding  the  Believer 

into  a  Life  as  a  Son     .  .         •     131 

5 


I 


1   H^.  i>      ' 


6  Contenti 

XV.  Tmi  Holy  Sntrr  Biauno  Wmnii  to  Owt 

So"*"" ij« 

XVI.  Tmi  Holy  SmiT  A*  A  TiACHM  .     §41 

XVII.  Praywo.    RirvRNiNo    Tnanki,    Worihit- 

riNO  IN  THi  Holy  SriRiT  •     153 

XVIII.  Tmi  Holy  Spirit  Sinoino  Mm  Forth  to 

DiriNm  LiNu  OP  Work  .159 

XIX.  Tmi  Holy  Spirit  and  tmi  Bilibvir'i  Body     169 

XX.  Tmi  Baptiim  with  THR  Holy  Spirit  .        .     171 

XXI.  Tmr  Work  op  tmi  Holy  Spirit  in  Prophits 

AND  Aporruu ,.- 

XXII.  Tmi   Work  op  the  Holy  Spirit  in  Juut 
5^*"^ 157 


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'■'^y 


The  Person  and  Work 
Of  the  Holy  Spirit 

Thel>enonaUty  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

BEFORE  one  can  correct!/  underetand  the  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  ^e^  must  first  of  all  know 
the  Spirit  Himtelf.  A  frequent  source  of  error 
and  fanaticism  about  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the 
attempt  to  study  and  understand  His  work  without  first 
of  all  cooiing  to  know  Him  as  a  Person. 

It  is  of  the  highest  importance  from  the  standpoint 
of  worship  that  we  decide  whether  the  Holy  Spirit  is  a 
Divine  Person,  worthy  to  receive  our  adoration,  our 
faith,  our  love,  and  our  entire  surrender  to  Himself,  or 
whether  it  is  simply  an  influence  emanating  from  God 
or  a  power  or  an  illumination  that  God  imparts  to  us. 
If  the  Holy  Spirit  is  a  person,  and  a  Divine  Person,  and 
we  do  not  know  Him  as  such,  then  we  are  robbing 
a  Divine  Being  of  the  worship  and  the  faith  and 
the  love  and  the  surrender  to  Himself  which  are  His 
due. 

It  is  also  of  the  highest  importance  from  the  practical 
standpoint  that  we  decide  whether  the   Holy  Spirit  is 

7 


M 


8    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

merely  some  mysterious  and  wonderful  power  that  we 
in  our  weakness  and  ignorance  are  somehow  to  get  hold 
of  and  use,  or  whether  the  Holy  Spirit  is  a  real  Person, 
infinitely  holy,  infinitely  wise,  infinitely  mighty  and  in- 
finitely tender  who  is  to  get  hold  of  and  use  us.     The 
former  conception  is  utterly  heathenish,  not  essentially 
different  from  the  thought  of  the  African  fetich  wor- 
shipper who  has  his  god  whom  he  uses.     The  latter 
conception  is  sublime  and  Christian.     If  we  think  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  as  so  many  do  as  merely  a  power  or  in- 
fluence, our  constant  thought  will  be,  «  How  can  I  get 
more  of  the  Holy  Spirit,"  but  if  we  think  of  Him  in  the 
Biblical  way  as  a  Divine  Person,  our  thought  will  rathei 
***'  "  22.^  *^*"  ^^^  ^°^y  Spirit  have  more  of  me  ?  " 
The  conccpfidn  of  the  Holy  Spint' asi  T  Dfvine  influ- 
ence or  power  that  we  are  somehow  to  get  hold  of  an^ 
use,  leads  to  self-exaltation  and  self-sufficiency.     One 
who  so  thinks  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  who  at  the  same 
time  imagines  that  he  has  received  the  Holy  Spirit  will 
/  almost  inevitably  be  full  of  spiritual  pride  and  strut 
/  about  as  if  he  belonged  to  some  superior  order  of  Chris- 
tians.    One  frequently  hears  such  persons  say,  "  I  am 
.   a  Holy  Ghost  man,"  or  "  I  am  a  Holy  Ghost  woman." 
But  if  we  once  grasp  the  thought  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
IS  a  Divine  Person  of  infinite  majesty,  glory  and  holi- 
j^  ness  and  power,  who  in  marvellous  condescension  has 
p  come  into  our  hearts  to  make  His  abode  there  and  take 
possession  of  our  lives  and  make  use  of  them,  it  will 
put  us  in  the  dust  and  keep  us  in  the  dust.     I  can 
think  of  no  thought  more  humbling  or  more   over- 
whelming than  the  thought  that  a  person  of  Divine 


»  1 


The  Personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit        9 

majesty  and  glory  dwells  in  my  heart  and  is  ready  to 
use  even  me. 

It  is  of  the  highest  importance  from  the  standpoint 
of  experience  that  we  know  the  Holy^Spjotas  A-jjcrson. 
Thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of  men  and  women 
can  testify  to  the  blessing  that  has  come  into  their  own 
lives  as  they  have  come  to  know  the  Holy  Spirit,  not 
merely  as  a  gracious  influence  (emanating,  it  is  true, 
from  God)  but  as  a  real  Person^  justas  real  at  Jesus 
Christ  Himself,  an  ever-present,  loving  Friend  and 
mighty  Helper,  who  is  not  only  always  by  their  side 
but  dwells  in  their  heart  every  day  and  every  hour 
and  who  is  ready  to  undertake  for  them  in  every  emer- 
gency of  life.  Thousands  of  ministers.  Christian 
workers  and  Christians  in  the  humblest  spheres  of  life 
have  spoken  to  me,  or  written  to  me,  of  the  complete 
transformation  of  their  Christian  experience  that  came 
to  them  when  they  grasped  the  thought  (not  merely  in 
a  theological,  but-ia_aiL.exgerimej«^  that  the 

Holy  Spirit  was  a  Person  and  consequently  came  to 
know  Him. 

There  are  at  least  four  distinct  lines  of  proof  in  the 
'Bible  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  a  person. 

I.  All  the  distinctive  characteristics  »f  personality  are 
ascribed  to  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  Bible. 

What  are  the  distinctive  characteristics,  or  marks,  of 
personality  ?  Knowledge,  feeling  or  emotion,  and  will. 
Any  entity  that  thinks  and  feels  and  wills  is  a  person. 
When  we  say  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  a  person,  there 
are  those  who  understand  us  to  mean  that  the  Holy 


ii 


h 


lo    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

Spirit  has  hands  and  feet  and  eyes  and  ears  and  mouth, 
and  so  on,  but  these  are  not  the  characteristics  of  per- 
sonality but  of  corporeity.     All  of  these  characteristics 
or  marks  of  personality  are  repeatedly  ascribed  to  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  the  Old  and  New  Testaments.     We  read 
'«  '...£fltJi^XOj.£V*  But  God  hath  revealed  them 
unto  us   by  His   Spmk    for  the   Spirit  searcheth  all 
things,  yea,  the  deep  thiWs  of  God.     For  what  man 
knoweth  the  things  of  a  Wn,8ave  the  spirit  of  man 
which  is  in  him  ?  even  so  the  things  of  God  knoweth 
no  man,  but  the  Spirit  of  God?.'     Here  knowledge  is 
ascribedjio   the   Holy  Spirit.     We  SlTd^ly  taSght 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  merely  an  influence  that  illu- 
minates our  minds  to  comprehend  the  truth  but  a  Being 
who  Himself  knows  the  truth. 

In  iCor.xH^  „^^^e^rcaj^«B„j  all  these  worketh 
that  one  and  the  selfsame  Spirit,  dividing  to  every  man 
severally  as  He  will."     Here  will  is  ascribed  to  the 
Spirit  and  we  are  taught  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  a 
power  that  we  get  hold  of  and  use  according  to  our 
will  but  a  Person  of  sovereign  majesty,  who  uses  us 
according  to  His  will.     This  distinction  is  of  funda- 
mental importance  in  our  getting  into  right  relations 
with  the  Holy  Spirit.     It  is  at  this  very  point  that  many 
honest  seekers  after  power  and  efficiency  in  service  go 
astray.     They  are  reaching  out  after  and  struggling  to 
get  possession  of  some  mysterious  and  mighty  power 
that  they  can  make  use  of  in  their  work  according  to 
their  own  will.     They  will  never  get  possession  of  the 
power  they  seek  until  they  come  to  recognize  that  there 
is  not  some  Divine  power  for  them  to  get  ^'old  of  and 


The  Personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit       1 1 


use  in  their  blindness  and  ignorance  but  that  there  U.  a 
Peraon,  infinitely  wise,  as  well  as  iniinitely  .roi^xty,.-wJio 
it  willing_tp„.titke  possession  of  theoxand  use  them  ac- 


cording to  His  own  perfect  will.  When  we  stop  to 
think  of  it,  we  must  rejoice  that  there  is  no  Divine 
power  that  beings  so  ignorant  as  we  are,  so  liable  to 
err,  to  get  hold  of  and  use.  How  appalling  might  be 
the  results  if  there  were.  But  what  a  holy  joy  must 
come  into  our  hearts  when  we  grasp  the  thought  that 
there  is  a  Divine  Person,  One  who  never  errs,  who  is 
willing  to  take  possession  of  us  and  impart  to  us  such 
gifts  as  He  sees  best  and  to  use  us  according  to  His 
wise  and  loving  will. 

We  read  in  Rom.  viii.  27,  "  And  He  that  searcheth 
the  hearts  knowetfi^~what  is  the  mind  of  the  Spirits 
because  He  maketh  intercession  for  the  saints  accord- 
ing to  the  will  of  God."  In  this  passage_m[nd[  is 
ascribed  to  the_Holy  Spirit.  The  Greek  word  trans- 
lated **(mind'jis  a  comprehensive  word,  including  the 
ideas  of  thought,  feeling  and  purpose.  It  is  the  same 
that  is  used  in  Rom.  viii.  7  where  we  read  that  ^*the 
carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God :  for  it  is  not 
subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can  be." 
So  then  in  this  passage  we  have  all  the  distinctive  marks 
of  personality  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Spirit. 

We  find  the  personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit  brought 
out  in  a  most  touching  and  suggestive  way  in  Rom.  xv. 
^0,  **  Now  I  beseech  you,  brethren,  for  the  hoti  Jesus 
Christ's  sake,  and  for  the  love  of  the  Spirit^  that  ye 
strive  together  with  me  in  your  prayers  to  God  for 
me."     Here  we  have  "  love  "  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Spirit. 


.  i 


■ite 


II 


i   ii: 

if 
If 


12     The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

The  reader  would  do  well  to  stop  and  ponder  those  five 
words,  "  tbLkutJifjbs  Spirit."     We  dwell  often  upon 
the  love  of  God  the  Father.     It  is  the  subject  of  our 
daily  and  constant  thought.     We  dwell  often  upon  the 
love  of  Jesus  Chi.      the  Son.     Who  would  think  of 
calling  himself  a  Christian  who  passed  a  day  without 
meditating  on  the  love  of  his  Saviour,  but  how  often 
have  we  meditated  upon  ^tbe  hve  of  the  Spirit "  f     Each 
day  of  our  lives,  if  we  are  living  as  Christians  ought, 
we  kneel  down  in  the  presence  of  God  the  Father  and 
look  up  into  His  face  and  say,  "  I  thank  Thee,  Father, 
f^  Thy  great  love  that  led  Thee  to  give  Thine  only 
begotten  Son  to  die  upon  the  cross  of  Calvary  for  me." 
Each  day  of  our  lives  we  also  look  up  into  the  face  of 
our  Lord  and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ,  and  say,  "  Oh, 
Thou  glorious  Lord  and  Saviour,  Jesus  Thou  Son  of 
God,  I  thank  Thee  for  Thy  great  love  that  led  Thee 
not  to  count  it  a  thing  to  be  grasped  to  be  on  equality 
with  God  but  to  empty  Thyself  and  forsaking  all  the 
glorjr  of  heaven,  come  down  to  earth  with  all  its  shame 
and  to  take  my  sins  upon  Thyself  and  die  in  my  place 
upon  the  cross  of  Calvary."     But  how  often  do  we 
kneel  and  say  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  "Oh,  Thou  eternal 
and  infinite  Spirit  of  God,  I  thank  Thee  for  Thy  great 
love  that  led  Thee  to  come  into  this  world  of  sin  and 
darkness  and  to  seek  me  out  and  to  follow  me  so  pa- 
tiently until  Thou  didst  bring  me  to  see  my  utter  ruin 
and  need  of  a  Saviour  and  to  reveal  to  me  my  Lord 
and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ,  as  just  the  Saviour  whom  I 
need."     Yet  we  owe   our  salvation  just  as  truly   to 
the  love  of   the  Spirit  as  we  do  to  the  love  of  the 


y 


The  Personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit      13 

Father  and  the  love  of  the  Son.     If  it  had  not  been 
for  the  love  of  God  the  Father  looking  down  upon  me 
in  my  utter  ruin  and  providing  a  perfect  atonement  for 
me  in  the  death  of  His  own  Son  on  the  cross  of  Cal- 
vary, L would  Kaia heea  'nLhslLiOrdAy.    If  it  had  not 
been  forjh?  Ipv?  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  eternal  Word  of 
God,  loolcing  upon  me  in  my  utter  ruin  and  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  Father,  putting  aside  all  the  glory  of  heaven 
for  all  the  shame  of  earth  and  taking  my  place,  the 
place  of  the   curse,  upon  the  cross  of  Calvary  and 
pouring  jut  His  life  utterly  for  me,  I  would  b«ve  been 
in  hell  to-day.     But  if  it  had  not  been  forjhe  lovR^of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  sent  by  the  Father  in  answer  to  the 
prayer  of  the  Son  (John  xiv.  16)  leading  Him  to  seek 
me  out  in  my  utter  blindness  and  ruin  and  to  follow 
me  day  after  day,  week  after  week,  and  year  after  year, 
when  I  persistently  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  His  pleadings, 
following  mc  through  paths  of  sin  where  it  must  have 
been   agony  for  that  holy   One   to  go,  until  at  last 
I  listened  and  He  opened  my  eyes  to  see  my  utter  ruin 
and  then  revealed  Jesus  to  me  as  just  the  Saviour  that 
would  meet  my  every  need  and  then  enabled  me  to 
receive  this  Jesus  as  my  own  Saviour;  if  it  had  not 
been    for    this    patient,    long-sufFering,    never-tiring, 
infinitely-tender  love  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  Ijvpuld  have 
been  in  hell  to-day.     Oh,  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  merely 
an  influence  or  a  power  or  an  illumination  buJLiua 
Person  just  as  real  as  God  the  Father  or  Jesus  Christ 
His  Son. 

The  personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit  comes  out  in  the 
Old  Testament  as  truly  as  in  the  New,  for  we  read  in 


■» 


n 


14    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

Neh.  ix.  20,  "Thou  gavest  alto  Thy  good  Spirit  to 
instruct  them,  and  withheldest  not  Thy  manna  from 
their  mouth,  and  gave«t  them  water  for  their  thirst." 
Here  both  intelligence  and  goodness  are  ascribed  to  the 
Holy  Spirit.  There  are  some  who  tell  us  that  while  it 
is  true  the  personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  found  in 
the  New  Testoment,  it  is  not  found  in  the  Old.  But 
it  is  certainly  found  in  this  passage.  As  a  matter 
of  course,  the  doctrine  of  the  personality  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  not  as  fully  developed  in  the  Old 
Testament  as  in  the  New.  But  the  doctrine  is 
there. 

There  is  perhaps  no  passage  in  the  entire  Bible  in 
which  the  personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit  comes  out 
more   tenderly  and   touchingly  than    in  Eph.  iv.  30, 
"And  grieve  not  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  whereby  ye 
are  sealed  unto  the  day  of  redemption."     Here  grigf  is 
/ascribed  to  the  Holy  Spirit.     The  Holy  Spirit  is  not  a 
blind,  impersonal  influence  or  power  that  comes  into 
our  lives  to  illuminate,  sanctify  and  empower  them. 
No,  He  is  immeasurably  more  than  that,  He  is  a  holy 
Person  who  comes  to  dwell  in  our  hearts.  One  who 
sees   clearly   every   act   we   perform,  every  word  we 
speak,  every  thought  we  entertain,  even  the  most  fleet- 
ing fancy  that  is  allowed  to  pass  through  our  minds; 
and  if  there  is  anything  in  act,  or  word  or  deed  that  is 
impure,  unholy,  unkind,  selfish,  mean,  petty  or  untrue, 
this   infinitely  holy  One  w  deeply  grieved  by  it.     I 
know  of  no  thought  that  will  help  one  more  than  this 
to  lead  a  holy  life  and  to  walk  softly  in  the  presence  of 
the  holy  One.     How  often  a  young  man  is  kept  back 


irtTfr. 


aeRWM* 


The  Personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit       i  $ 

from  yielding  to  the  temptations  that  surround  young 
manhood  by  the  thought  that  if  he  should  yield  to  the 
temptation  that  now  assails  him,  his  holy  mother  might 
hear  of  it  and  would  be  grieved  by  it  beyond  expres- 
sion. How  often  some  young  man  has  had  his  hand 
upon  the  door  of  some  place  of  sin  that  he  is  about  to 
enter  and  the  thought  has  come  to  him,  "  If  I  should 
enter  there,  my  mother  might  hear  of  it  and  it  would 
nearly  kill  her,"  and  he  has  turned  his  back  upon  that 
door  and  gone  away  to  lead  a  pure  life,  that  he  might 
not  grieve  his  mother.  But  there  is  One  who  is 
holier  than  any  mother.  One  who  is  more  sensitive 
against  sin  than  the  purest  woman  who  ever  walked 
this  eath,  and  who  loves  us  as  even  no  mother  ever 
loved,  and  this  One  dwells  in  our  hearts,  if  we  are 
really  Christians,  and  He  sees  every  act  we  do  by  day  or 
under  cover  of  the  night;  He  hears  evyry  yord  we 
utter  in  public  or  in  private;  He  sees  eyciy.ihQugbt  we 
entertain.  He  beholds  every  fancy  and  imagination  that 
is  permitted  even  a  momentary  lodgment  in  our  mind, 
and  if  there  is  anything  unholy,  impure,  selfish,  mean, 
petty,  unkind,  harsh,  unjust,  or  in  anywise  evil  in  act 
or  word  or  thought  or  fancy.  He  is  grieved  by  it.  If 
we  will  allow  those  words,  "  Grieve  not  the  Holy 
Spirit  of  God,"  to  sink  into  our  hearts  and  become  the 
motto  of  our  lives,  they  will  keep  us  from  many  a  sin. 
How  often  some  thought  or  fancy  has  knocked  for  an 
entrance  into  my  own  mind  and  was  about  to  find  enter- 
tai.iment  when  the  thought  has  come,  "  The  Holy 
Spirit  sees  that  thought  and  will  be  grieved  by  it "  and 
that  thought  has  gone. 


'I 

I 

i 


% 


% 


l6    ThePenonand  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

II.     Ma^,  acts  that  ,nfy  a  Pn-t,n  tan  ttrform  ar, 
ascriM  tt  tbt  H»fy  Spirit. 

If  we  deny  the  penonality  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  many 
paiiagei  of  Scripture  become  meaninglesi  and  absurd. 
For  example,  we  read  in  ij^of.  ii.  lo, "  But  God  hath 
revealed  them  unto  ut  by  His  Spirit:  for  the  Spirit 
searchitb  all  things,  yea,  the  deep  things  of  God." 
This  passage  sets  before  usihe  Holy  Spirit,  not  merely 
M  an  illumination  whereby  we  are  enabled  to  grasp  the 
deep  things  of  God,  but  a  Person  who  Himself  searches 
the  deep  things  of  God  and  then  reveals  to"~;irth"e 
precious  discoveries  which  He  has  made. 

We  read  in  Rev,,  ii,  7,  "  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let 
him  hear  what  tb.  Spirit  saitb  unto  the  churches ;  To 
him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  tree  of 
life,  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God." 
Here  the  Holy  Spirit  is  set  before  us,  not  merely  as  an 
impersonal  enlightenment  that  comes  to  our  mind  but 
a  Person  who  speaks  and  out  of  the  depths  of  His  own 
wisdom,  ^vhispers  into  the  ear  of  His  listening  servant 
the  precious  truth  of  God. 

^  '"  ^^I'jy-  P  ^^  '•wd,  "  And  because  ye  are  sons, 
God  hath  sent  forth  the  Spirit  of  His  Son  into  your 
hearts,  crying,  Abba,  Father."  Here  the  Holy  Spirit 
It  represented  as  cjjing  out  in  the  heart  of  the  individ- 
ual believer.  Not  merely  a  Divine  influence  produc- 
ing in  our  own  hearts  the  assurance  of  our  sonship  but 
one  who  cries  out  in  our  hearts,  who  bears  witness 
together  with  our  spirit  that  we  are  sons  of  God. 
(St«  also  Rom.  viii.  16.) 
The  Holy  Spirit  is  also  represented  in  the  Scripture 


The  Peraonality  of  the  Holy  Spirit       17 

as  one  who  pr^yi.  We  read  in  Rom.  viii.  26,  R.  V., 
**  And  in  lilce  manner  the  Spirit  alsolierpetH^our  Infirm- 
ity }  for  we  know  not  how  to  pray  as  we  ought }  but 
tbi  Spirit  Himstlf  maktth  inttrctssitn  for  us  with 
groanings  which  cannot  be  uttered."  It  is  plain  from 
this  passage  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  merely  an  influ- 
ence that  moves  us  to  pray,  not  merely  an  illumination 
that  teaches  us  how  to  pray,  but  a  Person  wfeo  H^g^lf 
pnys  in_gi)4  AbrPUgbus*  There  is  wondrous  comfort 
in  the  thought  that  every  true  believer  has  two  Divine 
P^ifofll.JS.niyJ-OK  ^or  him,  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  who 
was  once  upon  this  earth,  who  knows  all  about  our 
temptations,  who  can  be  touched  with  the  feeling  of 
our  infirmities  and  who  is  now  ascended  to  the  right 
hand  of  the  Father  and  in  that  place  of  authority  and 
power  ever  lives  to  make  intercession  for  us  (Heb. 
vii.  25}  I  John  ii.  i);  and  another  Person,  just  as 
Divine  as  He,  who  walks  by  our  side  each  day,  yes, 
who  dwells  in  the  innermost  depths  of  our  being  and 
knows  our  needs,  even  as  we  do  not  know  them  our- 
selves, and  from  these  depths  makes  intercession  to  the 
Father  for  us.  The  position  of  the  believer  is  indeed 
Qne  of  perfect  security  with  these  two  Divine  Persons 
praying  for  him. 

We  read  s^ain  in  J[!phfl-JfX«..36j  **  But  when  the 
Comforter  is  come,  whom  I  will  send  unto  you  from 
the  Father,  even  the  Spirit  of  truth,  which  proceedeth 
from  the  Father,  Ht  shall  testify  of  Me."  Here  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  set  before  us  as  a  Person  who^ives  His 
testimojax  iQ  Jesus  Christ,  not  merely  as  an  illumina- 
tion that  enables  the  believer  to  testify  of  Christ,  but 


18    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

.  Pc«o„  who  Him.elf  tctific,  wd  .  clcr  distinction 
••  drawn  m  th..  and  the  following  vcne  between  the 
te.n.ony  of  the  Holy  Spirit  .nd  the  te.tirnro  he 
W.ever  to  whom  He  ha.  borne  Hi.  witne..^  for  we 
re«l  ,„  the  next  ver.e,  «  And  ye  als.  .hall  bear  witneM 
becau.e        have  been  with  Me  from  the  beginning 

7:::::^,       '""  ""'  ^"^  '"'''^'^  '''-"K  witneu' 

tJa^I  ^°If  ^''•"'  "/''^  "P^"^"  ^'^ " «  »"<^her.     We 
t^!   H  /tKt"^^'  "  «"»  '»»«  Comforter,  which  i. 

name  ^'rr'' ".'''"   ^"^   ^«'''' -"  ««"<'  -My 
name,  He  shall  Uach  you  all  thing.,  and  bring  all  thing^ 

o  your  ^membrance  what«.ver  I   have'.aid  unfo 

"-14,  I  have  yet  many  thing,  to  .ay  untJl?^,  but 
ye  cannot  bear  them  now.  Howbeit  when  He,  the 
Sp.r.t  of  truth,  i.  come,  He  u^ill  guide  you  Into  all 

^t  H:.hV^"  T  •^"'^  «^H--1^  but  wh«" 
soever  He  .hall  hear,  that  .hall  He  .peak :  and  He  will 

He  .hall  receive  of  Mine,  and  .hall  .how  it  unto  you." 

And   .n   the   Old   Tctament,   Nefe.  ix.   aq,  4^1 

g.ve.t  al.o  Thy  good  Spirit  to  in.truct  them/'     In  a,l 

he«  pa..age.  it  i.  perfectly  clear  that  the  Holy  Spirit 

the  trujh   but  a  Person  who  come,  to  u.  to  teach  u.  day 

humblest  believer  in  Jesu.  Christ  not  merely  to  have  hi! 
mmd  .llumined  to  comprehend  the  truth  of  God,  butt 
have  a  D.vme  Teacher  to  daily  teach  him  the  t^th  he 


i 


!«««#r^sEei«r«    ^f- 


The  Personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit       19 

needs  to  know  (cf.  i  John  ii.  20, 27).  The  Holy  Spirit  is 
alto  represented  as  the  {^fiadfiL-IRlLJjJU^e  of  the 
children  of  God.  We  read  in  Ron>.  viij.  14,  "For 
u  many  t*  Kt  ltd  by  tbt  Spirit  oT  God  they  are  the 
sons  of  God."  He  is  not  merely  an  influence  that 
enables  us  to  see  the  way  that  God  would  have  us  go,  nor 
merely  a  power  that  gives  us  strength  to  go  that  way, 
but  a  Person  who  takes  us  by  the  hand  and  gently 
leads  us  on  in  the  paths  in  which  God  would  have  us 
walk. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  also  represented  as  a  Person  who 
has  authority  jto^jcsinjaipnd  men  in  their  service  of 
Jesus  Christ.  We  read  of  the  Apostle  Paul  and  his 
companions  in  Acts  xy'ujiy  7,  **  Now  when  they  had 
gone  throughout  Phrygia  and  the  region  of  Galatia, 
and  were  farbiddtn  of  tbt  ly  Ghost  to  preach  the 
Word  in  Asia,  after  they  we4  "ome  to  Mysia,  they  as- 
sayed to  go  into  Bithynia :  but  the  Spirit  suffered  them 
not."  Here  it  is  a  Person  who  takes  the  direction  of 
the  conduct  of  Paul  and  his  companions  an  J  a  Person 
whose  authority  they  recognized  and  to  whom  they  in- 
stantly submit. 

Further  still  than  this  the  Holy  Spirit  is  represented 
as  the  One  who  is  the  supreme  authority  in  the  church, 
who  calls  men  to  work  and  appoints  them  to  office. 
We  read  in  Acts  .xiii^  2.  "  As  they  ministered  to  the 
Lord,  and  fasted,  the  Holy  Ghost  said.  Separate  Me 
Barnabas  and  Saul  for  the  work  where  unto  I  have 
called  them."  And  in  Acts  nx.  28.  "Take  heed 
therefore  unto  yourselves,  and  to  all  the  flock,  over  the 
which  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  made  you  overseers,  to 


» 


f 


jl. 


W    ■"»  P'non  «hJ  Work  of  th.  Holy  Spirit 
feed  ,be  Cfcurcfc  of  G«l.  ,|,fc|,  „.  |«|,  p„„fc^ 

to  the  Holy  Spirit.  '^''^""  ""  ""'»«<' 

ComLer,    that  He  1      t-.'''*"  «'''  ^°"  '^^^'^ 
Fv.n  »k     c  .  "'">'    ■*»"*«    with   you    forever  t 

h«.  t"r:  J',  "  '""•"''•  "-«  >•-  Chri.,  couM 


■■iEJi.'vimi 


'»ir  T.»T» 


The  Perionality  of  the  Holy  Spirit      21 

Jetut  could  have  taid  as  He  did  in  John  xvi.  7, 
"  Nevenheleaa  I  tell  you  the  truth  :  //  w  txptditHt/tr 
yut  that  Igt  away  :  for  if  I  go  not  away,  the  Com- 
forter will  not  come  unto  you }  but  if  I  depart,  I  will 
•end  Him  unto  you,"  if  this  Comforter  whom  He  was 
to  send  was  simply  an  impersonal  influence  or  power  \ 
No,  one  Divine  Person  was  going,  another  Person  just 
as  Divine  was  coming  to  uke  His  place,  and  it  was 
expedient  for  the  disciples  that  the  One  go  to  repre- 
sent them  before  the  Father,  for  another  just  as  Divme 
and  sufficient  was  coming  to  take  His  place.  This 
promise  'of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  of  the  coming  of  the 
other  Comforter  and  of  His  abiding  with  us  is  the 
greatest  and  best  of  all  for  the  present  dispensation. 
This  is  the  promise  of  the  Father  (Acts  i.  4),  the 
promise  of  promises.  We  shall  take  it  up  again  when 
we  come  to  study  the  names  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

IV.  A  triatmint  it  predicated  to  the  Holy  Spirit  that 
could  only  he  predicated  0/ a  Person. 

We  read  in  Isa.  Ixiii.  10,  R.  V.,  »*  But  they  rebelled 
and  grieved  His  Holy  Spirit :  therefore  He  was  turned 
to  be  their  enemy,  and  He  fought  against  thcni."  Here 
we  are  told  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  rebelled  against  and 
grieved  (cf.  Eph.  iv.  30).  Only  a  person  can  be  re- 
belled against  and  only  a  person  of  authority.  Qnly 
a  person  can  be  grieved.  You  cannot  grieve  a  mere 
influence  or  power.  In  Heb.  ^^_20j  we  read, "Of 
how  much  sorer  punishment,  suppose  ye,  shal'  he  be 
thought  worthy,  who  hath  trodden  underfoot  i  ,e  Son 
of  God,  and  hath  counted  the  blood  of  the  covenant. 


!!i 


— '^- 


i 


22     The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

wherewith  he   wa,  «„ctified,  an   unholy  thing,  and 
hath  done  desptti  unto  the  Spirit  of  grace? "     Here  wt 
are  told  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  «  done  despite  unto  " 
(   treated  with  contumely  "-Thayer's  Greek-English 
Lexicon  of  the  New  Testament).     There  is  but  one 
kind  of  entity  in  the  universe  that  can  be  treated  with 
contumely  (orJnsuJted)  and   that   is  a  person.     It  i, 
absurd  to  think  of  treating  an  influence  or  a  power  or 
any  kind  of  being  except  a  person  with  contumely. 
We  read  ^ain  in  Act.  v.  3,  "  But  Peter  said,  Ananias, 
why  hath  Satan  filled  thine  heart  to  lie  to  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  to  keep  back  part  of  the  price  of  the  land  ? "     Here* 
we  have  the  Holy  Spirit  represented  as  one  who  can  be 
lied  to.     One  cannot  lie  to  anything  but  a  person. 

In  M§tL^,^3^^2,  we  read,  « Wherefore  I  say 
unto  you,  All  manner  of  sin  and  blasphemy  shall  be 
foilgiven   unto   men:   but   the   blasphemy   against  the 
Holy   Ghost  shall    not  be  forgiven  unto  men.     And 
whoscjever  speaketh  a  «ord  against  the  Son  of  man,  it 
shall  be  forgiven  him :  but  whosoever  speaketh  against 
he  Holy  Ghost   it  shall  not  be  forgiven  him,  neither 
•n  this  world,  neither  in  the  world  to  come."     Here  we 
are  told  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  blasphemed  against.     It 

the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  a  person,  it  certainly  cannot 
be  a  more  serious  and  decisive  sin  to  blaspheme  Him 
than  It  ,s  to  blaspheme  the  Son  of  man,  our  Lord  and 
Saviour,  Jesus  Christ  Himself. 

Here  then  we  have  four  distinctive  and  decisive 
hncs  of  proof  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  a  Person.  Theoret- 
ically  most  of  us  believe  this  but  do  we,  in  our  real 


I 


Ml 


'-'  v^'if-m"^^, 


— -^^ 


The  Personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit      23 

thought  of  Him  and  in  our  practical  attitude  towards 
Him  treat  Him  as  if  He  were  indeed  a  Person  ??^At 
the  close  of  an  address  on  the  Personality  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  at  a  Bible  conference  some  years  ago,  one  who 
had  been  a  church-member  many  years,  a  member  of 
one  of  the  most  orthodox  of  our  modern  denomina^* 
tions,  said  to  me,  ^*  \  never  thought  of  //  before  as  a 
Person."  Doubtless  this  Christian  woman  had  often 
sung : 

"  Praise  God  from  whom  all  blessings  flow. 
Praise  Him  all  creatures  here  below. 
Praise  Him  above,  ye  heavenly  host. 
Praise  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost." 

Doubtless  she  had  often  sung : 

"  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to 
the  Holy  Ghost, 
As  it  was  m  the  beginning,  is  now,  and  ever 

shall  be. 
World  without  end.  Amen." 

But  it  is  one  thing  to  sing  words ;  it  is  quite  another 
thing  tojsalize  thfi  meaniog  of  wb^it  we  sing.  If  this 
Christian  woman  had  been  questioned  in  regard  to  her 
doctrine,  she  would  doubtless  have  said  that  she  believed 
that  there  were  three  Persons  in  the  Godhead,  Father, 
Son  and  Holy  Spirit,  but  a  theological  confession  is  one 
thing,  a  jractical  le^lization  of  the  truth  we  confess  is 
quite  another.  So  the  question  is  altogether  necessary, 
no  matter  how  orthodox  you  may  be  in  your  creedal 
statements.  Do  you  regard  the  Holy  Spirit  as  indeed  as 
real  a  Person  as  Jesus  Christ,  as  loving  and  wise  and 


I 


H    The  Pereon  and  Work  ofthc  Holy  Spirit 

^uZt  **  T*"^  °^  y""-*  ^"fi^'*""  «nd  love  and 
.urrendcr  aj  Jesu,  Christ  Himself  f^?  The  HolvSpl^h 
-^»  th.s  worid  to  be  to  the  disciple,  of  o^ 

to  you?  -Doyou  know  Him  ?:   Evei^  leik  in  ylVl  fc 
you  hear  the  apostolic  benediction,  "The  grTce  of   Le 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  the  love  of  God  and  he  Lm 
-union  of  the  Holy  Ghost  be  with  you  ^1"  (20" 

Hnl     A         '^°  ^°"  ''"^^  ^^"^  communion  c    the 
Holy  Ghost?     The  fellowship  of  the  Holy  Gho  t? 
The  partnership  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ?.  The'comraj 
sh'P    of   the   Holy   Ghost?  .The  intimate  personal 
f^^en  sh.p  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ?     Herein  lies  thfXe 
secret  of  a  real  Christian  life,  a  life  of  liberty  and  joy 
and    power   and  fullness.     To  have  as  one's  eve"- 
present  Fnend,  and  to  be  conscious  that  one  has  as  his 
onl^lT"'  ^"^"l^^li^i?-^^  Spirit  and  to  surrender 
one  s  hfe  ,n  all  us  departments  entirely  to  His  control 
th.s   .s  true  Christian   living.     The  doctrine  of  ^hj 
Personahty  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  as  distinctive  of  the 
rehgion  that  Jesus  taught  as  the  doctrines  of  the  Deity 
and  the  atonement  of  Jesus  Christ  Himself.     But  it 
.s  not  enough  to  believe  the  doctrine-one  must  know 

Chapter  (God  help  me  to  say  it  reverently)  is  to  in- 
troduce you  to  my  Friend,  the  Holy  Spirit 


hft' 


The  Deity  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


-J> 


'1 


^-> 


IN  the  preceding  chapter  we  have  seen  clearly  that 
the  Holy  Spirit  it  a  Person.  But  what  sort  of  a 
Person  is  He  i  Is  He  a  finite  person  or  an  in- 
finite person  i  Is  He  God  i  This  question  also  is 
plainly  answered  in  the  Bible.  There  are  in  the  Scrip- 
tures of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  five  distinct 
and  decisive  lines  of  proof  of  the  Deity  of  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

I.  Each  0/  the  /tur  distinctivtly  Divint  attributti  is 
Merited  it  the  Holy  Spirit. 

What  are  the  distinctively  Divine  attributes  ?  Eter- 
nity, omnipresence,  omniscience  and  omnipotence. 
AU  of  these  are  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  Bible. 

We  find  eternity  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Spirit  in  Heb. 
ix.  14,  ^  How  much  more  shall  the  blood  of  Christ,  who 
tKrough  the  eternal  Spirit  ofi^red  Himself  without  spot 
to  God,  purge  your  conscience  from  dead  works  to 
serve  the  living  God?" 

Omnipresence  is  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Spirit  in  Ps. 
cxxxi)^.  7-10,  "  Whither  shall  I  go  from  Thy  Spirit  ? 
or  whither  shall  I  flee  from  Thy  presence  ?  If  I  ascend 
up  into  heaven.  Thou  art  there  :  if  I  make  my  bed  in 
hell,  behold,  Thou  art  there.  If  I  take  the  wings  of 
the  morning,  and  dwell  in  the  uttermost  parts  of  the 


n 


j! 


i. 
.1 


26    The  Person  and  Work  ofthc  Holy  Spirit 

sea  i  even   there  shaJl  Thy  hand  lead   me,  «,d  Thy 

right  hand  shall  hold  me."  ^ 

Qmsjuuof,  is  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Spirit  in  several 

But  God  hath  revealed  them  unto  C^^^fTfis's^i^^: 
for  the  Spmt  W.M  .//  M;^,  yea,  the  deep  thing, 
of  God.     For  what  man  knoweth  the  things  of  a  man 
save  the  spirit  of  man  which  is  in  him?     Even  so  tb\ 
thing:  of  God  knoweth  no  man,  but  the  Spirit  of  God," 
Agam  .n  Jo^nj^v^  u  But  the  Comforter,  which  is 
the  Ho^  Ghost,  whom  the  Father  will  send  in  My 
name.   He   shall   teach  you  all  things,  and  bring  all 
thmgs   to  your   remembrance,  whatsoever  I  have  said 
unto  you/'     Still  funher  we  read  ..  Jolm^L^.  ,3. 
K.  v.,     I  have  yet  many  things  to  saT^nto  you,  but 
ye  cannot  bear  them  now.     Howbeit  when  He,  the 
Spmt  of  truth  is  come.  He  shall  ^«/^.  you  into  all  the 
truth:  for  He  shall  not  speak  from  Himself,  but  what 
things  soever  He  shall  hear,  these  shall  He  speak:  and 
He  shall  declare  unto  you  the  things  that  are  to  come." 
We  find  orasipotence  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
^^^J^  "And  the  angel  answered  and  said  unto 
fter,  ThrUoly  Ghost  shall  come  upon  thee,  and  the 
power  of  the  Highest  shall  overshadow  thee:  therefore 
also  that  holy  thing  which  shall  be  born  of  thee  shall 
be  called  the  Son  of  God." 

.A  \  J^:"  .'^"''"''''"''y  ^'■"'»'  ^orks  are  ascribed  to 
toe  Holy  Spirit. 

When  „.  ,|,i„k  „f  Q„j  ^„j 
work  of  which  wc  al„a„  Aink  is  .ha.  of' c" 


I; 
I '  I' 


I  •vm^rMHss^tt.  .-  i  \  i 


The  Deity  of  the  Holy  Spirit  27 

In  the  Scriptures  creation  is  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Spirit. 
We  read  in  Tob  jcxxiji.  4»  "  The  Spirit  of  God  hath 
made  me^  and  the  breath  of  the  Almighty  hath  given  nne 
life."  We  read  still  again  in  Ps.  civ.  30,  "  Thou 
sendest  forth  Thy  Spirit,  they  are  created  i  and  Thou 
tenewest  the  face  of  the  earth."  In  connection  with 
the  description  of  creation  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis, 
the  activity  of  the  Spirit  is  referred  to  (Gen.  i.  1-3). 

The  im£JUtationj>f  Jife  is  also  a  Divine  work  and 
this   is   ascribed   in  the  Scriptures  to  the  Holy  Spirit. 
We  read  in  John  vi.  6,  A.  R.  V.,  "It  is  the  Spirit 
that  giveth   lI?eT  the  flesh   profiteth  nothing."     We 
read  also  in  Rom.  viii.ii,  "  But  if  the  Spirit  of  Him 
that  raised  upjMTis  "froST  the  dead  dwell  in  you.  He 
that  raised  up  Christ  from  the  dead  shall  also  quicken 
your   mortal   bodies   by  His    Spirit   that    dwelleth   in 
you."     In   the  description  of  the  creation  of  man  in 
Gen.  ii.  7,  it  is  the  breath  of  God,  that  is  the  Holy 
Spirit,  who  imparts  life  to  man,  and  man  becomes  a 
living   soul.     The  exact  words  are,  "And  the  Lord 
God    formed   man  of  the    dust  of  the  ground,  and 
breathed  into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life;  and  man 
became   a   living  soul."     The  Greek  word  which  is 
rendered  "  spirit "   means  "  breath  "  and  though  the 
Holy  Spirit  as  a  Person  does  not  come  out  distinctly 
in  this  early  reference  to  Him  in  Gen.  ii.  7,  nevertheless, 
this  passage  interpreted  in  the  light  of  the  fuller  revelation 
of  the  New  Testament  clearly  refers  to  the  Holy  Spirit. 
The  authorship  of  Dwnne  prophecies  is  also  ascribed 
to  the  Holy  Spirit.     We  read  in  2  JPet^  i.  21,  R.  V., 
"  For  no  prophecy  ever  came  by  the  will  o?  man  :  but 


u 


i 


28    The  Pereon  and  Work  ofthe  Holy  Spirit 
men  .pake  from  God,  Mng  m^,j  t,  ^b,  Hriy  Ghutr 
Even  ,n  the  Old  Testament,  there  »  a  reference  to  th« 
Holy  Spirit  as  the  author  of  prophecy.     We  read  in 
2  Sam.  xxiii.  2,  3,  «  m  Spirit  rf  the  Lord  stah  by 
me,  and  His  word  v?as  in  my  tongue.     The  God  of 
Israel  said,  the  Rock  of  Israel  spake  to  me,  He  that 
ruleth  over  men  must  be  just,  ruling  in  the  fear  of  God." 
So  we  see  that  the  three  distinctly  Divine  works  of 
creat^n,  the    impariation   of   life,  and  prophecy  arc 
ascribed  to  the  Holy  Spirit.  ^ 

III.     Stauments  which  i„  th,  Old  Tmamm  distincth 

the  my  Sptrmn  the  New  Testament,  /. ,.,  th.  H%  Spirit 
occupies  the  putuon  of  Deity  in  New  Testament  thought. 
A  striking  illustration  of  this  is  found  in  Isa.  vi.  8-10, 
Also  I  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord,  saying,  Whom 
shall  I  send,  and  who  will  go  for  us  ?    Then  said  L 
Here  am  I ;  «rnd  me.    And  He  said,  Go,  and  tell  this 
people.  Hear  ye  indeed,  but  understand  not,  and  see 
yc  indeed,  but  perceive  not.     Make  the  heart  of  this 
people  fat,  and  make  their  ear,  heavy,  and  shut  their 
eyesi  lest  they  see  with  their  eyes,  and  hear  with  their 
ears  and  undersund  with  their  heart,  and  convert  and 

T  I,  "i  ;  u  '"  ''*"'  ^""^  ^*  *«  'oW  that  it  was 
Jehovah  (whenever  the  word  Lord  is  spelled  in 
capiu^s  in  the  Old  Testament,  it  stands  for' Jehovah 
m  the  Hebrew  and  is  so  rendered  in  the  American 
Re  v,sion)  whom  Isaiah  saw  and  who  speaks.     But  in 

of  Isaiah  s  and  whereas  in  Isaiah  we  a«  told  it  i. 


''*w**»«<*»«(#am«B« 


The  Deity  of  the  Holy  Spirit         29 

Jehovdi  who  speaks,  in  the  reference  in  Acts  we  are 
told  that  it  was  the  Holy  Spirit  who  was  the  speaker. 
The  passage  in  Acts  reads  as  follows,  **  And  when 
they  agreed  not  among  themselves,  they  departed  after 
that  Paul  uad  spoken  one  word.  Well  spake  the  Holy 
Ghost  by  Esaias  the  prophet  unto  our  fathers,  saying. 
Go  unto  this  people,  and  say.  Hearing  ye  shall  hear, 
and  shall  not  understand ;  and  seeing  ye  shall  see  and 
not  perceive :  For  the  heart  of  this  people  is  waxed 
gross,  and  their  ears  are  dull  of  hearing,  and  their  eyes 
have  they  closed }  lest  they  should  see  with  their  eyes, 
and  hear  with  their  ears,  and  understand  with  their 
heart,  and  should  be  converted,  and  I  should  heal 
them."  So  we  see  that  what  is  distinctly  ascribed  to 
Jehovah  in  the  Old  Testament  is  ascribed  to  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  the  New :  1.  /.,  the  Holy  Spirit  is  identified 
with  Jehovah.  It  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  in  the 
Gospel  of  John,  the  twelfth  chapter  and  the  thirty- 
ninth  to  forty-first  verses  where  another  reference  is 
made  to  this  passage  in  Isaiah,  this  same  passage  is  as- 
cribed to  Christ  (note  carefully  the  forty-first  verse). 
So  in  different  parts  of  Scripture,  we  have  the  same 
passage  referred  to  Jehovah,  referred  to  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  referred  ro  Jesus  Christ.  May  we  not  find 
the  explanation  of  this  in  the  threefold  **  Holy  "  of  the 
seraphic  cry  in  Isaiah  vi.  3,  where  we  read,  ^  And  one 
cried  unto  another,  and  said,  Holy,  holy,  holy,  is  the 
Lord  of  hosts :  the  whole  earth  is  full  of  His  glory." 
In  this  we  have  a  distinct  suggestion  of  the  tri-per- 
sonality  of  the  Jehovah  of  Hosts,  ..nd  hence  the  pro- 
priety of  the  threefold  application  of  the  vision.    A 


'    I' 


il: 


ft    ;!!!> 


r    i 


30    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

further  luggettion  of  this  tri-penoiwlity  of  Jehovah  of 
Hosts  is  found  in  the  eighth  verse  of  the  chapter  where 
the  Lord  is  represented  as  saying,  "Whom  shall  I 
send,  and  who  will  go  for  us  f  " 

Another  striking  illustration  of  the  application  of 
passages   in   the   New  Testament  to  the  Holy  Spirit 
which  in  the  Old  Testament  distinctly  name  Jehovah 
as  their  subject  is  found  in  E^^^jciu^.     Here  we 
read,  "And  m  the  morning,  then  ye  shaU  see  the  glory 
of  the  Loaoi  for  that  He  heareth  your  murmurings 
agamst  the  Lord:  and  what  are  we  that  ye  murmur 
agamst  us  ? "     Here  the  murmuring  of  the  children  of 
Israel  is  distinctly  said  to  be  against  Jehovah.    But  in 
^e|>-  i"-  1-^i  where  this  Instance  is  referred  to,  we 
read,  "  Wherefore,  as  ihe  Holy  Ghost  saith.  To-day  if 
ye  will  hear  His  voice,  harden  not  your  hearts,  an?*  in 
the  provocation,  in  the  day  of  temptation  in  the  wilder- 
ness :     When  your  fathers  tempted  Me,  proved  Me,  and 
saw  My  works  forty  years."     The  murmurings  which 
Moses  in  the  Book  of  Exodus  says  were  against  Jeho- 
vah, we  are  told  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  were 
against  the  Holy  Spirit.     This  leaves  it  beyond  question 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  occupies  the  positiou-ot  Jehovah  (or 
Deity)  in  the  New  Testament  (cf.  also  Ps.  xcv.  8-n). 

IV.  The  name  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  coupled  with  that 
of  God  in  a  way  it  would  be  impossible  for  a  reverent  and 
thoughtful  mind  to  couple  the  name  of  any  finite  being  with 
that  of  the  Deity.  * 

We  Y-Kwt  an  illustration  of  this  .n  1  Cor.  xii.  4-6, 
"  Now  there  are  diversities  of  gifts,  but  the  samlpiHtt 


J 


i 


The  Deity  of  the  Holy  Spirit         31 

And  there  are  differences  of  administrationa,  but  the 
samt  Ltri.  And  there  are  diversities  of  operations,  but 
it  is  the  iamt  Gtd  which  worketh  all  in  all."  Here  we 
find  God,  and  the  Lord  and  the  Spirit  associated  to- 
gether in  a  relation  of  equality  that  would  be  shocking 
to  contemplate  if  the  Spirit  were  a  finite  being.  We 
have  a  still  more  striking  illustration  of  this  in  Matt. 
xxviii^  iq,  ^*  Go  ye  therefore,  and  teach  all  nations, 
baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Fatbtr^  and  of  the 
&»,  and  of  the  H»fy  Ghost."  Who,  that  had  grasped 
the  Bible  conception  of  God  the  Father,  would  think 
for  a  moment  of  coupling  the  name  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
with  that  of  the  Father  in  this  way  if  the  Holy  Spirit 
were  a  finite  being,  even  the  most  exalted  of  angelic 
beings?  Another  striking  illustration  is  found  in 
2  Cpr,  yiij^  14,  "  The  grace  of  tbt  Lord  Jtsus  Christy 
and  the  love  of  Gody  and  the  communion  of  tbt  Holy 
Ghosty  be  with  you  all.  Amen."  Can  any  one  ponder 
these  words  and  catch  anything  like  their  real  import 
without  seeing  clearly  that  it  would  be  impossible  to 
couple  the  name  of  the  Holy  Spirit  with  that  of  God 
the  Father  in  the  way  in  which  it  is  coupled  in  this 
verse  unless  the  HolxSpiriLKcn:  HimifilCj  Divine  Be- 
ing? 


'4 


V.     The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  God. 

The  final  and  de«.  sive  proof  of  the  Deity  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  found  in  the  fact  that  He  is  called  God 
in  the  New  Testament.  We  read  in  Acts  v.  3,  4, 
"^  But  Peter  said,  Ananias,  why  hath  Satan  filled  thine 
heart  to  lie  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to  keep  back  part 


H.' 


r( 


I, 


32    The  Penon  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

of  the  price  of  the  Iwd  f  While,  it  «m.i„ed,  wm  it 
not  thme  own  f  And  after  it  wm  .old,  wuit  Tin 
thine  own   power?     Why  h„t  thou   concei  Ll^w" 

buHJc^-f  'The  /'""  '-;  ""  '-'  -^  -" 
out  «»»  (jHt.      In  the  fint  part  of  thi.  p^age  we  ar« 

,i.I°  !°",^'  •"  "I"'  "^  *«  ""^riprion  of  dl  U,.  di^ 

D  ,,„e  wrk.,  br  referring  ,u.emen»  which  to  ,hi 
OW  T.«j™„„  cle«ly„.™e  Jeho»h,  the  UiJ." 
GO.U.  .h..r.  .ubjec.  ,.  ,he  Holy  Spiri.  to  ^Z 

with  th..  of  God  in  .  wiy  thu  would  be  impouiUe  to 
coupfc  that  of  „y  finite  being  with  thaof'Z^.  b^ 
Pl«»^y  cJling  ,h.  Holy  Spirit  God,  to  M  the^  „„;i^ 
«kable  w.y,  God  in  Hi.  own  Woid  di.ttoctl,j,,^ 
dtim.  tb«  dK  Hoi,  Spirit  i.  .  Divine  Pe,«.     " 


I  n 


f   1 


» 


i\ 


V  -  ^T  -    y.-"Jv 


^9       ^^    ;  '.// 


'     W'  ;/    ^ 


r  / 


-^^i 


I  U; 


Lf^   thL 


a- 


) 


H^w-.  .  .. 


^/'  ' 


4 1  H'  I    *-v  cy^  .f 


\  •< ;  /< 


1III>^  -^ 


/ 


--Y 


*%>. 


The   Distinction  of  the  Holy  Spirit  from  the 
Father  and  from  His  Son,  Jesus  Christ 

WE  have  seen  thus  far  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
a  Person  and  a  Divine  Person.    And  now 
another  question  arises,  Is  He  as  a  Person 
separate  and  distinct  from  the  Father  and  from  the  Son  ? 
One  who  carefully  studies  the  New  Tesument  state- 
ments  cannot  but  discover  that  beyond  a  question  He 
is.     We  read  in  Luke  iii.  21,  2a,  "  Now  when  all  the 
people  were  baptized,  it  came  to  pass  that  Jesus  also 
being  baptized,  and  praying,  the  heaven  was  opened, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  in  a  bodily  shape  like  a 
dove  upon  Him,  and  a  voice  came  from  heaven,  which 
said.  Thou  art  My  beloved  Son^  in  Thee  I  am  well 
pleased."      Here  the   clearest  possible  distinction  is 
drawn  between  Jesus  Christ,  who  was  on  earth,  and 
the  Father  who  spoke  to  Him  from  heaven  as  one  per- 
son speaks  to  another  person,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  who 
descended  in  a  bodily  form  as  a  dove  from  the  Father, 
who   was   speaking,  to  the    Son,  to  whom  He  was 
speaking,  and  rested  upon  the  Son  as  a  Person  separate 
and  distinct  from  Himself.     We  see  a  clear  distinction 
drawn  between  the  name  of  the  Father  and  that  of  the 
Son  and  that  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  Matt,  xxviii.  19, 
where  we  read,  "  Go  ye  therefore,  and  teach  aU  na- 

33 


I  \ 


34    The  Penon  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

tioni,  ^ptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Fwher.  anJ 
of  the  Son.  a.d  of  the  Holy  Gho.t."    The  distinction 
of  the  Holy  Spint  from  the  Father  and  the  Son  comet 
out  .gain  with  exceeding  dearneu  in  John  xiv.  ,6. 
Here  we  read.  "And  /  wiU  pray  th,  Fatbir,  and  He 
•hall  give  you  0n0ib,r  Cmfmn,  that  He  may  abide 
with  you  forever."    F    .  ^e  aee  the  one  Perin.  the 
Son,  praying  to  another  Per»„,  the  Father,  and  the 
Father  to  whom  He  pray,  giving  another  Perwn,  an- 
other Comfoner,  in  anawer  to  the  prayer  of  the  .econd 
Perion,  the  Son.    If  word,  n-.an  anything,  and  cer- 
umly  m  the  Bible  tjey  mean  what  theV  ^y^thete  L 
be  no  mutakmg  .t,  tlutjhe  Father  and  the  Son  and  the 
Spirit  are  three  distinct  and  ttpaiate  Penon.. 

Again  in  John  xvi.  7,  a  clear  diatinction  i.  drawn 
betv  *n  Je.u.  who  goe.  away  to  the  Father  and  the 
Holy  Spint  who  come,  from  the  Father  to  take  Hit 
place.  Jeau.  My,,  «  Neverthdc.  I  tell  you  the  truth  ; 
It  !•  expedient  for  you  .hat  I  go  away :  for  if  I  go  not 

St  ^T^'^'V'"  "««  "««  unto  you  ,  but  if  I 
depart,  I  will  ^nd  Him  unto  you."  A  .imilar  diatinc- 
tion  ..drawn  in  Art.  ii.  33,  where  we  read, «  Therefore 
being  by  the  right  hand  of  God  exalted,  and  having  re- 
ceived of  the  Father  the  promise  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
He  hath  .hed  forth  thi.,  which  ye  now  see  and  hear." 
In  this  passage,  the  clearest  possible  distinction  is 
drawn  between  the  Son  exalted  to  the  right  hand  of  the 

alted  and  the  Holy  Spirit  whom  the  Son  receives  from 
the  Father  and  sheds  forth  upon  the  Church. 
To  sum  it  all  up,  again  and  again  the  Bible  draws 


The  Diitinction  of  the  Holy  Spirit     35 

the  ck-arett  potiible  distinction  between  the  three  Per- 
son!, the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Father  and  the  Son.  They 
iare  three  separate  pcrsonalitiest  haying  mutual  relations 
to  one  another,  acting  upon  one  another,  speaking  of 
qr.  to  one  another,  applying  thr  pronouns  of  the  Kcond 
iqi.llli£<l  persons  to  one  another. 

y.^-  t  I      '^.^ 


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The  Subordination  of  the  Spirit  to  the  Father 
and  to  the  Son 

FROM  the  fact  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  a  Divine 
Person,  it  does  not  follow  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
is  in  every  sense  equal  to  the  Father.     While 
the  Scriptures  teach  that  in  Jesus  Christ  dwelt  all  the 
fullness  of  the  Godhead  in  a  bcdily  form  (Col.  ii.  9) 
and  that  He  was  so  truly  and  fully  Divine  that  He 
could  say,  "I  and  the  Father  are  one  "  (John  x.  vo) 
and  "He  that  hath  seen   Me  hath  seen  the  Father" 
Gohn  xiv.  9),  they  also  teach  with  equal  clearness  that 
Jesus  Christ  was  not  equal  to  the  Father  in  every  re- 
spect, but  subordinate  to  the  Father  in  many  ways. 
In  a  similar  way,  the  Scriptures  teach  us  that  though 
the  Holy  Spirit  is  a  Divine  Person,  He  is  subordinate 
to  the  Father  and  to  the  Son.     InJohni_xiv.  26,  we  are 
taught  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  sent  by  the'pather  and  in 
the  name  of  the  Son.    Jesus  declares  very  clearly, «  But 
the  Comforter,  which  is  the  Holy  Ghost,  whom  the 
Father  will  send  in  My  name.  He  shall  teach  you  all 
things,   and    bring   all   things   to  your  remembrance, 
whatsoever  I  have  said  unto  you."     In  John  xv.  26 
we  are  told  that  it  is  Jesus  who  sends  the  Spirit  from 
the  Father.     The  exact  words  are,  "But   when  the 
Comforter  is  come,  whom  I  will  send  unto  you  from 

36 


The  Subordination  of  the  Spirit        37 


^ 


( ' 


the  Father,  even  the  Spirit  of  truth,  which  proceedeth 
from  the  Father,  He  shall  testify  of  Me."  Just  as  wc 
jre  elsewhere  taught  that  Jesus  Christ  was  sent  by  the 
Father  (j  »hn  vi.  29  ;  viii.  29,  42),  wc  are  here  taught 
that  the  rioly  Spirit  in  turn  is  sent  by  Jesus  Christ. 

The  subordination  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  the  Father 
and  the  Son  comes  out  also  in  the  fact  that  He  derives 
some  of  His  names  from  the  Father  and  from  the  Son. 
We  read  in  Rom.  viii.  9,  "  But  ye  are  not  in  the 
flesh,  but  in  the  Spirit,  if  so  be  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
dwell  in  you.  Now  if  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of 
Christ,  he  is  none  of  His."  Here  we  have  two  names 
of  the  Spirit,  one  derived  from  His  relation  to  the 
Father,  « the  Spirit  of  God,"  and  the  other  derived 
from  His  relation  to  the  Son,  "the  Spirit  of  Christ." 

In  Acts  xvi.  7,  R.  V.,  He  is  spoken  of  as  "  the  Spirit 
of  Jesus." 

The  subordination  of  the  Spirit  to  the  Son  is  also 
seen  in  the  fact  that  the  Holy  Spirit  speaks  "  not  from 
Himself  but  speaks  the  words  which  He  hears."  We 
read  in  John  xvi.  13,  R.  V.,  "  Howbeit  when  He,  the 
Spirit  of  trutR,"ls  come.  He  shall  guide  you  into  all  the 
truth  :  for  He  shall  not  speak  from  Himself;  but  what 
things  soever  He  shall  hear,  these  shall  He  speak :  and 
He  shall  declare  unto  you  the  things  that  are  to  come." 
In  a  similar  way,  Jesus  said  of  Himself,  "  My  teaching 
is  not  Mine,  but  His  that  sent  Me  "  (John  vii.  16 ; 
viii.  26,  40). 

The  subordination  of  the  Spirit  to  the  Son  comes 
out  again  in  the  clearly  revealed  fact  that  it  is  the  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  not  to  glorify  Himself  but  to  glorify 


11:  J 


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38    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

Christ.  Jesus  says  in  Johnjcvi^i4,  "  He  shall  glorify 
Me:  for  He  shall  receive  of  Mine,  and  shall  shew  it 
unto  you."  In  a  similar  way,  Christ  sought  not  His 
own  glory,  but  the  glory  of  Him  that  ^nt  Him,  that  is 
the  Father  (John  vii.  18). 

From  all  these  passages,  it  is  evident  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  His  present  work,  while  possessed  of  all  the 
attributes  of  Deity,  is  subordinated  to  the  Father  and 
to  the  Son.  On  the  other  hand,  we  shall  see  later  that 
in  His  earthly  life,  Jesus  lived  and  taught  and  worked 
>in  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 


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The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as 
Revealed  in  His  Names 

AT  least  twenty-five  different  names  are  used  in 
the  Old  and  Ne'**  Testanisnts  in  speaking  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  There  is  the  deepest  signif- 
icance in  these  names.  By  the  careful  study  of  them, 
we  find  a  wonderful  revelation  of  the  Person  and  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

/.      Th>i  Spirit. 

fke  simplest  name  by  which  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
mentioned  in  the  Bible  is  that  whic '  .tands  at  the  head 
of  this  paragraph — "  The  Spirit."  This  name  is  also 
used  as  the  basis  of  other  names,  so  we  begin  our  study 
with  this.  The  Greek  and  Hehr  .w  words  so  translated 
mean  literally,  "  Breath  "  or  "  vTind."  Both  thoughts 
are  in  the  name  as  applied  to  the  Holy  Spirit. 

I.  The  thought  of  breath  is  brought  out  in  John 
XX.  M  where  we  read, "  And  when  He  had  said  this,^/ 
breathed  on  them^  and  saith  unto  them,  Receive  ye  the 
Holy  Ghost."  It  is  also  suggested  in  Gen,  ii.  7« 
**  And  the  Lord  God  formed  man  of  the  dust  of  the 
ground,  and  breathed  into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life ; 
and  man  became  a  living  soul."  This  becomes  more 
evident  when  we  compare  with  this  Ps.  civ.  30, 
**  Thou  sendest  forth  Thy  Spirit^  they  are  created :  and 

39 


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40    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

Thou  renewcst  the  face  of  .^.e  earth."    And  Job  xxxiii. 
4,  "  Tbt  Spirit  of  God  hath  made  me,  and  the  breath 
of  the  Almighty  hath  given   me  life."     What  is  the 
significance  of  this  name  from  the  standpoint  of  these 
passages  ?     It  is  that  the  Spirit  is  the  outbreathing  of 
God,  His  inmost  life  going  forth  in  a  personal  form  to 
quicken.     When  we  receive  the  Holy  Spirit*  we  receive 
the  inmost  life  of  God  Himself  to  dwell  in  a  personal 
way  in  us.     When  we  really  grasp  this  thought  Jt  is 
overwhelmmg   in  its  solemnity.     Ju_sj_stfip.  and  think 
what  It  means  to  have  the  inmost  life  of  that  infinite 
and  eternal  Being  whom  we  call  God,  dwelling  in  a 
personal  way  in  you.     How  solemn  and  how  awful  and 
yet  unspeakably  glorious  life  becomes  when  we  realize 
this. 

2.     The  thought  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  « the  Wind  " 
is   brought  out  in  John  iii,J>-8,  "That  which  is  born 
of  the  flesh  is  flesh  ;  and  that  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit 
is  spirit.     Marvel  not  that  I  said  unto  thee.  Ye  must  be 
born  again.     The  wind  bloweth  where  it  listcth,  and 
thou    hearest   the    sound   thereof,   but   canst   not  tell 
whence  it  cometh,  and   whither  it  goeth  :  so  is  every 
one  that  is  born  of  the  Spirit."     In  the  Greek,  it  is  the 
same  word  that  is  translated  in  one  part  of  this  passage 
"  Spirit "  and  the  other  part  of  the  passage  "  wind." 
And  it  would  seem  as  if  the  word  ought  to  be  translated 
the  same  wr     in  both  parts  of  the  passage.     It  would 
then  read,  "That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh 
and  that  which  is  born  of  the '  Wind  '  is  wind.    Marvel 
not  that  I  said    unto   thee.  Ye  must   be    born   again. 
The  wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth  and  thou  hearest  the 


( 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  Revealed  in  His  Names  41 

sound  thereof,  but  canst  not  tell  whence  it  cometh  or 
whither  it  goeth :  so  is  every  one  that  is  born  of  the 
*  Wind.' "  The  full  significance  of  this  name  as  applied 
to  the  Holy  Spirit  (or  Holy  Wind)  it  may  be  beyond 
us  to  fathom,  but  we  can  see  at  least  this  much  of  its 
meaning : 

(i)  The  Spirit  like  the  wind  is  sovereign.  "  The 
wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth  "  Qohn  iii.  8).  You 
cannot  dictate  to  the  wind.  It  does  as  it  wills.  Just 
so  with  the  Holy  Spirit — He  is  sovereign — we  cannot 
dictate  to  Him.  He  "divides  to  each  man"  severally 
even  as  He  will"  (1  Cor.  xii.  ii,  R.  V.).  When  the 
wind  is  blowing  from  the  north  you  may  long  to  have 
it  blow  from  the  south,  but  cry  as  clamorously  as  you 
may  to  the  wind,  "  Blow  from  the  south  "  it  will  keep 
right  on  blowing  from  the  north.  But  while  you 
cannot  dictate  to  the  wind,  while  it  blows  as  it  will, 
you  may  learn  the  laws  that  govern  the  wind's  motions 
and  by  bringing  yourself  into  harmony  with  those  laws, 
you  can  get  the  wind  to  do  your  work.  You  can  erect 
your  windmill  so  that  whichever  way  the  wind  blows 
from  the  wheels  will  turn  and  the  wind  will  grind  your 
grain,  or  pump  your  water.  Just  so,  while  we  cannot 
dictate  to  the  Hcly  Spirit  we  can  learn  the  laws  of  His 
operations  and  by  bringing  ourselves  into  harmony  with 
those  laws,  above  all  by  submitting  our  wills  absolutely 
to  His  sovereign  will,  the  sovereign  Spirit  of  God  will 
work  through  us  and  accomplish  His  own  glorious 
work  by  our  instrumentality. 

(2)  The  Spirit  like  the  wind  is Jnvisible, but.  none 
tht  less  perceptible  and  real  and  mighty.     You  hear  the 


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42     The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

sound  of  the  wind  QohnjiiJ)  but  the  wind  itself  you 
never  we.     You  hear  the  voice  of  the  Spirit  but  He 
Himself    ,s    ever    invisible.      (The    word    translated 
sound     ,n  John  iii.  8  is  the  word  which  elsewhere  is 
translated  "voice."    See  R.  V.)    We  not  only  hear  the 
voice  of  the  wind  but  we  see  its  mighty  effects.     We 
feel  the  breath  of  the  wind  upon  our  cheeks,  we  see  the 
dust  and  the  leaves  blowing  before  the  wind,  we  see  the 
vessels  at  sea  driven  swiftly  towards  their  ports ;  but 
the   wmd   itself  remains  invisible.     Just  so  with  the 
Spirit  i  we  feel  His  breath  upon  our  souls,  we  see  the 
mighty  things  He  does,  but  Himself  we  do  not  see. 
He  IS  invisible,  but  He  is  real  and  perceptible.     I  shall 
never  forget  a  solemn  hour  in  Chicago  Avenue  Church, 
Chicago.     Dr.  W.  W.  White  was  making  a  farewell 
address   before  going   to   India   to   work  among  the 
students  there.     Suddenly,  without  any  apparent  warn- 
ing,  the  place  was  filled  with  an  awful  and  glorious 
I'rcsence.     To  me  it  was  veiy  real,  but  the  question 
arose  ,n  my  mind,  "Is  this  merely  subjective,  just  a 
feeling  of  my  own,  or  is  there  an  objective  Presence 
here  ? "     After  the  meeting  was  over,  I  asked  different 
persons  whether  they  were  conscious  of  anything  and 
found  that  at  the  same  point  in  the  meeting  they,  too, 
though  they  saw  no  one,  became  distinctly  conscious 
of  an   overwhelming   Presence,  the  Presence   of  the 
Holy   Spirit.     Though  many  years  have  passed,  there 
are  those  who  speak  of  that  hour  to  this  day.     On 
another  occasion  in    ny  own  home  at  Chicago,  when 
kneehng  in  prayer  with  an  intimate  friend,  as  we  prayed 
It  seemed  as  if  an  unseen  and  awful  Presence  entered 


E  i 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  Revealed  in  His  Names  43 

the  room.  I  realized  what  Eliphaz  meant  when  he 
•aid,  **  Then  a  spirit  passed  before  my  face ;  the  hair  of 
my  flesh  stood  up  "  (Job  iv.  15).  The  moment  was 
overwhelming,  but  as  glorious  as  it  was  awful.  These 
are  but  two  illustrations  of  which  m?.ny  might  be  given. 
None  of  us  have  seen  the  Holy  Spirit  at  any  time,  but 
of  His  presence  we  have  been  distinctly  conscious  again 
•^nd  again  and  again.  His  mighty  power  we  have  wit- 
nessed and  His  reality  we  cannot  doubt.  There  are 
those  who  tell  us  that  they  do  not  believe  in  anything 
which  they  cannot  see.  Not  one  of  them  has  ever  seen 
the  wind  but  they  all  believe  in  the  wind.  They  have 
felt  the  wind  and  they  have  seen  its  effects,  and  just 
so  we,  beyond  a  question,  have  felt  the  mighty  pres- 
ence of  the  Spirit  and  witnessed  His  mighty  workings. 

(3)  The  Spirit  like  the  wind  is  inscrutable.  "  Thou 
'anst  not  tell  whence  it  cometh  and  whither  it  goeth." 
Nothing  in  nature  is  more  mysterious  than  the  wind. 
But  more  mysterious  still  is  the  Holy  Spirit  in  His 
operations.  We  hear  of  how  suddenly  and  unexpect- 
edly in  widely  separated  communities  He  begins  to 
work  His  mighty  work.  Doubtless  there  arc  hidden 
reasons  why  He  does  thus  begin  His  work,  but  often- 
times these  reasons  are  completely  undiscoverable  by  us. 
We  know  not  whence  He  comes  nor  whither  He  goes. 
We  cannot  tell  where  next  He  will  display  His  mighty 
and  gracious  power. 

(4)  The  Spirit,  like  the  wind,  is  indispentablt. 
Without  wind,  that  is  ^*  air  in  motion,"  there  is  no 
life  and  so  Jesus  says,  ^'  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you, 
except  a  man  be  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit,  he 


\1  I 


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44     The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God."     If  the  wind 
should  absolutely  cease  to  blow  for  a  sin-le  hour,  most 
of  the  life  on  this  earth  would   cease  .o  be.     Time 
and   again  when   the   health   reports  of  the   different 
ernes  of  the  United  States  are  issued,  it  has  been  found 
that  the  five  healthiest  cities  in  the  United  States  were 
five  cities  located  on  the  great  lakes.     Many  have  been 
surprised  at  this  report  when  they  have  visited  some  of 
these  cities  and  found  that  they  were  far  from  being 
the  cleanest  cities,  or  most  sanitary  in  their  general 
arrangement,  and  yet  year  after  year  this  report  has 
been  returned.     The  explanation  is  simply  this,  it  is 
the  wind  blowing  from  the  lakes  that  has  brought  life 
and  health  to  the  cities.    Just  so  when  the  Spirit  ceases 
to  blow  in  any  heart  or  any  church  or  any  community, 
death  ensues,  but  when  the  Spirit  blows  steadUy  upon 
the  individual  or  the  church  or  the  community,  there 
IS  abounding  spiritual  life  and  health. 

(5)     Closely   related  to  the   foregoing  thought,  like 
the  wind  the  Holy  Spirit  Js  Ji/,  giving.     This  thought 
comes   out   again  "and  Vgain   In  the  Scriptures.     For 
example,  we  read  in  John  vi.  63,  A.  R.  V.,  «  It  is  the 
Spirit  that  giveth  life,"  and   in  2  Cor.  iii.  6,  we  read, 
"The  letter  killeth,  but  the  Spirit  giveth  life."     Per- 
haps the  most  suggestive  passage  on  this  point  is  Ezek. 
xxxvi,.8,9,io,«And   when   I  beheld,  lo,  the  sinews 
and  the  flesh  came  up  upon  them,  and  the  skin  covered 
them  above :  but  there  was  no  breath  in  them.     Then 
said   He  unto  me,  Prophesy  unto    the  wind,  prophesy, 
son  of  man,  and  say  to  the  wind.  Thus  saith  the  Lord 
GoDi    Come    from    the  four   winds,  O  breath,  and 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  Revealed  in  His  Names  45 

breathe  upon  these  slain,  that  they  may  live.  So  I 
prophesied  as  He  commanded  me,  and  tht  brtatb  cami 
into  tbem,  and  they  Itved^  and  stood  upon  their  feet,  an 
exceeding  great  army  "  (cf.  John  iii.  5).  Israel,  in  the 
prophet's  vision,  was  only  bones,  very  many  and  very 
dry  (vs.  2,  11),  until  the  prophet  proclaimed  unto  them 
the  word  of  God ;  then  there  was  a  noise  and  a  shak- 
ing and  the  bones  came  together,  bone  to  his  bone, 
and  the  sinews  and  the  flesh  came  upon  the  bones,  but 
still  there  was  no  life,  but  when  the  wind  blew,  the 
breath  of  God's  Spirit,  then  ^*they  stood  up  upon 
their  feet  an  exceeding  great  army."  All  Jife  in  the 
individual  believer,  in  the  teacher,  the  preacher,  and 
the  church  is  the  Holy  Spirit's  work.  You  will  some- 
times make  the  acquaintance  of  a  man,  and  as  you 
hear  him  talk  and  observe  his  conduct,  you  are  repelled 
and  disgusted.  Everything  about  him  declares  that 
he  is  a  dead  man,  a  moral  corpse  and  not  only  dead 
but  rapidly  putrefying.  You  get  away  from  him  at 
quickly  as  you  can.  Months  afterwards  you  meet  him 
again.  You  hesitate  tc  speak  to  him ;  you  want  to 
get  out  of  his  very  presence,  but  you  do  speak  to  him, 
and  he  has  not  uttered  many  sentences  before  you 
notice  a  marvellous  change.  His  conversation  is  sweet 
and  wholesome  and  uplifting ;  everything  about  his 
manner  is  attractive  and  delightful.  You  soon  dis- 
cover that  the  man's  whole  conduct  and  life  has  been 
transformed.  He  is  no  longer  a  putrefying  corpse  but 
a  living  child  of  God.  What  has  happened  ?  The 
Wind  of  God  has  blown  upon  him  \  he  has  received 
the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Holy  Wind.     Some  quiet  Sabbath 


46    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

day  you  visit  a  church.     Everything  about  the  outward 
appointments  of  the  church  are  all  that  could  be  de- 
sired.    There  is  an  attractive  meeting-house,  an  expen- 
sive organ,  a  gifted  choir,  a  scholarly  preacher.     The 
service  is   /ell  arranged  but  you  have  not  been  long  at 
the  gathering  before  you  are  forced  to  see  that  there 
is  no  life,  that  it  is  all  form,  and  that  there  is  nothing 
really  being  accomplished  for  God  or  for  man.     You 
go  away  with  a  heavy  heart.     Months  afterwards  you 
have  occasion  to  visit  the  church  again ;  the  outward 
appointments  of  the    church  are  much  as  they  were 
before  but  the  service  has  not  proceeded  far  before  you 
note  a  great  difference.     There  is  a  new  power  in  the 
singing,  a  new  spirit  in  the  prayer,  a  new  grip  in  the 
preaching,  everything  about  the  church  is  teeming  with 
the  life  of  God.     What  has  happened  ?     The  Wind 
of  God  has  blown  upon  that  church  j  the  Holy  Spirit, 
the  Holy  Wind,  has  come.     You  go  some  day  to  hear 
a  preacher  of  whose   abilities  you   have  heard  great 
reports.     As   he   stands  up  to  preach  you  soon  learn 
that  nothing  too  much  has  been  said  in  praise  of  his 
abilities    from   the    merely    intellectual   and    rhetorical 
standpoint.     His  diction  is  faultless,  his  style  beautiful, 
his   logic   unimpeachable,  his  orthodoxy  beyond  criti- 
cism.    It  is  an  intellectual  treat  to  listen  to  him,  and 
yet  after  all  as  he  preaches  you  cannot  avoid  a  feeling 
of  sadness,  for  there  is  no  real  grip,  no  real  power, 
indeed  no  reality  of  any  kind,  in  the  man's  preaching. 
You  go  away  with  a  heavy  heart  at  the  thought  of  this 
waste  of  magnificent  abilities.     Months,  pe.-haps  years, 
pass  by  and  you  again  find  yourself  listening  to  this 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  Revealed  in  His  Names  47 


celebrated  preacher,  but  what  a  change !  The  same 
faultless  diction,  the  same  beautiful  style,  the  same 
unimpeachable  logic,  the  same  skillful  elocution,  the 
same  sound  orthodoxy,  but  now  there  is  something 
more,  there  is  reality,  life,  grip,  power  in  the  preach- 
ing. Men  and  women  sit  breathless  as  he  speaks, 
sinners  bowed  with  tears  of  contrition,  pricked  to 
their  hearts  with  conviction  of  sin ;  men  and  women 
and  boys  and  girls  renounce  their  selfishness,  and 
their  sin  and  their  worldliness  and  accept  Jesus 
Christ  and  surrender  their  lives  to  Him.  What  has 
happened  ?  The  Wind  of  God  has  blown  upon 
that  man.  He  has  been  filled  with  the  Holy  Wind. 
(6)  Like  the  wind,  the  Holy  Spirit  is  irrtsistiblt. 
We  read  in  Acts  i.  8,  '*  But  ye  shall  receive  pnver^  after 
that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you :  and  ye  shall 
be  witnesses  unto  Me  both  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  all 
Judea,  and  in  Samaria,  and  unto  the  uttermost  parts  of 
the  earth."  When  this  promise  of  our  Lord  was  ful- 
filled in  Stephen,  we  read,  "  And  they  were  not  able  t$ 
resist  the  wisdom  anu  the  Spirit  by  which  he  spake." 
A  man  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit  is  transformed  into  a 
cyclone.  What  can  stand  before  the  wind?  When 
St.  Cloud,  Minn.,  was  visited  with  a  cyclone  years  ago, 
the  wind  picked  up  loaded  freight  cars  and  carried  them 
away  off  the  track.  It  wrenched  an  iron  bridge  from 
its  foundations,  twisted  it  together  and  hurled  it  away. 
When  a  cyclone  later  visited  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  it  cut  ofF 
telegraph  poles  a  foot  in  diameter  as  if  they  had  been 
pipe  stems.  It  cut  off  enormous  trees  close  to  the  root, 
it  cut  off  the  corner  of  brick  buildings  where  it  passed 


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■1     i 


48    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

at  though  they  had  been  cut  by  a  knife  i  nothing  could 
stand  before  it;  and  to,  nothing  can  ttand  before  a 
Spirit-filled  preacher  of  the  Word.  None  can  resist 
the  wisdom  and  the  Spirit  by  which  he  speaks.     The 

Wind  of  God  took  possession  of  Charles  G.  Finney, 
an  obscure  country  lawyer,  and  sent  him  through  New 
York  State,  then  through  New  England,  then  through 
England,  mowing  down  strong  men  by  his  resistless. 
Spirit-given  logic.  One  night  in  Rochester,  scores  of 
lawyers,  led  by  the  justice  of  the  Court  of  Appeals, 
filed  out  of  the  pews  and  bowed  in  the  aisles  and 
yielded  their  lives  to  God.  The  Wind  of  God  took 
possession  of  D.  L.  Moody,  an  uneducated  young  busi- 
ness man  in  Chicago,  and  in  the  power  of  this  resist- 
less Wind,  men  and  women  and  young  people  were 
mowed  down  before  his  words  and  brought  in  humble 
confession  and  renunciation  of  sin  to  the  feet  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  filled  with  the  life  of  God  they  have  been 
the  pillars  in  the  churches  of  Great  Britain  and  through- 
out the  world  ever  since.  The  great  need  to-day  in 
individuals,  in  churches  and  in  preachers  is  that  the 
Wind  of  God  blow  upon  us. 

Much  of  the  difficulty  that  many  find  with  John  iii.  5, 
**  Jesus  answered.  Verily,  verily,  I  s^  unto  thee.  Ex- 
cept a  man  be  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit,  he  c^ 
not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God,"  would  disai^saff 
if  we  would  only  bear  in  mind  that  *'  Spirit "  asans 
**  Wind  "  and  translate  the  verse  litersily  ail  tkrea^h, 
"Except  a  man  be  born  of  water  and  Wind  tiaerc  is  so 
"  the  "  in  the  original),  he  cannot  entea-  tfte  jstagfiom 
of  God."     The  thought  would  thesi  se^  =  fe,  —  £s- 


B 


The  Holy  Spirit  a»  Revealed  in  His  Names  49 

cepta  man  be  born  of  the  deaniing  and  quickening 
power  of  the  Spirit  (or  else  of  the  cleansing  Word 
— cf.  John  XV.  3i  Eph.  v.  26-,  Ja«.  i.  i8i  i  Pet.  i.  23 
and  the  quickening  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit)." 

II.     ThiJ^iriuCSiS)^' 

The  Holy  Spirit  ii  frequently  spoken  of  in  the  Bible 
ai  the  Spirit  of  God.  For  example  we  read  in  1  Cor. 
iii.  i6^  "  Know  ye  not  that  ye  are  the  temple  of  God, 
and  that  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you."  In  this 
name  we  have  the  same  essential  thought  as  in  the 
former  name,  but  with  this  addition,  that  His  Divine 
origin,  nature  and  power  are  emphasized.  He  is  not 
merely  "  The  Wind  "  as  seen  above,  but  "  The  Wind 
o/God." 

III.     Tbt  Spirit  of  Jehovah. 

This  name  is  used  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  Isa^^xi.^, 
A.  R.  v.,  "And  the  Spirit  of  Jehovah  shall  rest  upon 
him."  The  thought  of  the  name  is,  of  course,  essen- 
tially the  same  as  the  preceding  with  the  exception  that 
God  is  here  thought  of  as  the  Covenant  God  of  Israel. 
He  is  thus  spoken  of  in  the  connection  in  which  the 
name  is  found  -,  and,  of  course,  the  Bible,  following  that 
unerring  accuracy  that  it  a)' /ays  exhibits  in  its  use  of 
the  different  names  for  Got,  .n  this  connection  speaks 
of  the  Spirit  as  the  Spirit  of  Jehovah  and  not  merely  as 
the  Spirit  of  God. 

IV.      The  SptjJjfitktLord  Jtbevah. 
The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
Jehovah  in  Isa.  Ixi.  1-3,  A.  R.  V.,  "The  Spirit  of  the 


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SO    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

Lord  Jehovah  is  upon  Me  j  because  Jehovah  hath 
anointed  Me  to  preac  >  good  tidings  to  the  meek ;  He 
hath  sent  Me  to  bind  up  the  broken-hearted,  to  pro- 
claim liberty  to  the  captives,  etc."  The  Holy  Spirit  is 
here  spoken  of,  not  merely  as  the  Spirit  of  Jehovah, 
but  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  Jehovah  because  of  the  re- 
lation in  which  God  Himself  is  spoken  of  in  this  con- 
nection, as  not  merely  Jehovah,  the  covenant  God  of 
Israel,  but  as  Jehovah  Israel's  Lord  as  well  as  their 
covenant-keeping  God.  This  name  of  the  Spirit  is 
even  more  expressive  than  the  name  "  The  Spirit  of 
God." 

V.      The  Spirit  of  the  Living  God. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  "  Tie  Spirit  »/  the  living 
God "  in^  2  Cor,  iii.  3,  "  Forasmuch  as  ye  are  mani- 
festly declared  to  be  the  epistle  of  Christ  ministered  by 
us,  written  not  with  ink,  but  with  the  Spirit  of  the  liv- 
ing God ;  not  in  tables  of  stone,  but  in  fleshy  tables  of 
the  heart."  What  is  the  significance  of  this  name  ? 
It  is  made  clear  by  the  context.  The  Apostle  Paul  is 
drawing  a  contrast  between  the  Word  of  God  written 
with  ink  on  parchment  and  the  Word  of  God  written 
on  "  tables  that  arc  hearts  of  flesh  "  (R.  V.)  by  the 
Holy  Spirit,  who  in  this  connection  is  called  "the Spirit 
of  the  living  God,"  because  He  makes  God  a  living 
reality  in  our  personal  experience  instead  of  a  mere  in- 
tellectual concept.  There  are  many  who  believe  in 
God,  and  who  are  perfectly  orthodox  in  their  concep- 
tion of  God,  but  after  all  God  is  to  them  only  an  in- 
tellectual theological  proposition.     It  is  the  work  of  the 


dfia 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  Revealed  in  His  Names  51 

Holy  Spirit  to  make  God  something  vastly  more  than  a 
theological  notion,  no  matter  how  orthodox  i  He  is  the 
Spirit  of  the  living  God,  and  it  is  His  woricto  make  God 
a  living  God  to  us,  a  Being  whom  we  know,  with 
whom  we  have  personal  acquaintance,  a  Being  more 
real  to  us  than  the  most  intimate  human  friend  we 
have.     Have  you  a  real  God  ?>>  Well,  you  may  have. 
The  Holy  Spirit  is  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God,  and  He 
is  able  and  reacly  to  give  to  you  a  living  God,  to  make 
God  real  in  your  personal  experience.     There  are  many 
who  have  a  God  who  once  lived  and  acted  and  spoke, 
a  God  who  lived  and  acted  at  the  creation  of  the  uni- 
verse, who  perhaps  lived  and  acted  in  the  days  of  Moses 
and  Elijah  and  Jesus  Christ  and  the  AposUes,  but  who 
no  longer  lives  and  acts.     If  He  exists  at  all.  He  has 
withdrawn  Himself  from  any  active  part  in  nature  or 
the  history  of  man.     He  created  nature  and  gave  it  its 
laws  and  powers  and  now  leaves  it  to  run  itself.     He 
created  man  and  endowed  him  wHh  his  various  faculties 
but  has  now  left  him  to  work  out  his  own  destiny. 
They  may  go  further  than  this :  they  may  believe  in  a 
God,  who  spoke  to  Abraham  and  to  Moses  and  to 
David  and  to  Isaiah  and  to  Jesus  and  to  the  Apostles, 
but  who  speaks  no  longer.     We  may  read  in  the  Bible 
what  He  spoke  to  these  various  men  but  we  cannot 
expect  Him  to  speak  to  us.     In  contrast  with  these,  it 

isJhej!!Kl£LiLihc.JifllX.§ElriU,J^^^ 
GuLt  to  give  us  to  know,  a  God  who  lives  and  acts  and 
•peaks  to-day,  a  God  who  is  ready  to  come  as  near  to 
us  as  He  came  to  Abraham,  to  Moses  or  to  Isaiah,  or 
to  the  Apostles  or  to  Jesus  Himself.    Not  that  He  ba$ 


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■' 


52     The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

any  new  revelations  to  make,  for  He  guided  the 
Apostles  into  all  the  truth  (John  xvi.  13,  R.  V.):  but 
though  there  has  been  a  complete  revelation  of  God's 
truth  made  in  the  Bible,  still  God  lives  to-day  and  will 
speak  to  us  as  directly  as  He  spoke  to  His  chosen  ones 
of  old.  Happy  is  the  man  who  knows  the  Holy  Spirit 
as  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God,  and  who,  consequently, 
has  a  real  God,  a  God  who  lives  to-day,  a  God  upon 
whom  he  can  depend  to-day  to  underuke  for  him,  a 
God  with  whom  he  enjoys  intimate  personal  fellow- 
ship, a  God  to  whom  he  may  raise  his  voice  in  prayer 
and  who  speaks  back  to  him. 

VI.      The  S^iritjf  Christ. 

In  Rom.  viii.jj^,  "  But  ye  are  not  in  the  flesh,  but  in 
the  Spirit,  if  so  be  that  the  Spirit  of  God  dwell  in  you. 
Now  if  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christy  he  is 
none  of  His."  The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  the  Spirit  of 
Christ.  The  Spirit  of  Christ  in  this  passage  does  not 
mean  a  Christlike  spirit.  It  means  something  far  more 
than  that,  it  means  that  which  lies  back  of  a  Christlike 
spirit }  it  is  a  name  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Why  is  the 
Holy  Spirit  called  the  Spirit  of  Christ  f  For  several 
reasons : 

(i)  Because  He  is  Christ's  gift.  The  Holy  Spirit 
is  not  merely  the  gift  of  the  Father,  but  the  gift  of  the 
Son  as  well.  We  read  in  John  xx.  22  that  Jesus 
."  breathed  on  them  and  saith  unto  them.  Receive  ye 
the  Holy  Ghost."  The  Holy  Spirit  is  therefore  the 
breath  of  Christ,  as  well  as  the  breath  of  God  the 
Father.     It  is  Christ  who  breathes  upon  us  and  im- 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  Revealed  in  His  Names  53 

parts  to  us  the  Holy  Spirit.     In  John  xiv.  15  and  the 
following  verses  Jesus  teaches  us  that  it  is  in  answer  to 
His  prayer  that  the  Father  gives  to  us  the  Holy  Spirit. 
In  Acts  ii.  33  we  read  that  Jesus  "  Being  by  the  right 
hand  of  God  exalted  and  having  received  of  the  Father 
the  promise  of  the  Holy  Spirit,"  shed  Him  forth  upon 
believers ;  that  is,  that  Jesus,  having  been  exalted  to 
the  right  hand  of  God,  in  answer  to- His  prayer,  re- 
ceives the  Holy  Spirit  from  the  Father  and  sheds  forth 
upon  the  Church   Him  whom  He  hath  received  from 
the  Father.     In  Matt.  iii.  n   we  read  that  it  is  Jesus 
who  baptizes  with  the  Holy  Spirit.     In  John  vii.  37-39 
Jesus  bids  all  that  are  thirsty  to  come  unto  Him  and 
drink,  and  the  context  makes  it  clear  that_the_water 
that  He  gives  is  the  .Holjr-Spirit,  who  becomes  in  those 
who  receive  Him  a  source  of  life  and  power  flowing 
out  to  others.     It  is  the  glorified  Christ  who  gives  to 
the  Church  the  Holy  Spirit.     In  the  fourth  chapter  of 
John  and  the  tenth  verse  Jesus  declares  that  He  is  the 
One  who  gives  the  living  water,  the  Holy  Spirit.     In 
all  these  passages,  Christ  is  set  forth  as  the  One  who 
gives  the  Holy  Spirit,  so  the  Holy  Spirit  is  called  "  the 
Spirit  of  Christ." 

(2)  But  there  is  a  deeper  reason  why  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  called  "  the  Spirit  of  Christ,"  /".  *.,  because  it  is 
the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  reveal  Christ  to  us.  In 
John  xvi.  14,  R.  v.,  we  read,  "  He  (that  is  the  Holy 
Spirit)  shall  glorify  Me  :  for  He  shall  take  of  Mine,  and 
shall  declare  it  unto  you."  In  a  similar  way  in  John 
XV.  26,  R.  v.,  it  is  written,  "  But  when  the  Comforter 
is  come,  whom  I  will  send  unto  you  from  the  Father, 


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1;-: 


i 


54    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

even  the  Spirit  of  truth,  which  proceedeth  from  the 
Father,  He  shall  bear  witneu  of  Me."  This  is  the 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  bear  witness  of  Christ  and 
reveal  Jesus  Christ  to  men.  And  as  the  revealer  of 
Christ,  He  is  called  "  the  Spirit  of  Christ." 

(3)  But  there  is  a  still  deeper  reason  yet  why  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  called  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  and  that  is 
btcaust  it  is  His  work  to  firm  Christ  as  a  living  prtsence 
within  us.  In  Eph.  iii.  16,  17,  the  Apostle  Paul  prays 
to  the  Father  that  He  would  grant  to  believers  accord- 
ing to  the  riches  of  His  glory  to  be  strengthened  with 
might  by  His  Spirit  in  the  inner  man,  that  Christ  may 
dwell  in  their  hearts  by  faith.  This  then  is  the  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  cause  Christ  to  dwell  in  our 
hearts,  to  form  the  living  Christ  within  us.  Just  as  the 
Holy  Spirit  literally  and  physically  formed  Jesus  Christ 
in  the  womb  of  the  Virgin  Mary  (Luke  i.  35)  sgjhe 
Ffoly  Spirit  spiritually  but  really  iaxxsa  Jesus^C  'ist 
within  nur  hfiarrs.lftrday.  In  John  xiv.  i6-:8,  ms 
told  His  disciples  that  when  the  Holy  Spirit  came  that 
He  Himself  would  come,  that  is,  the  result  of  the  com- 
ing of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  dwell  in  their  hearts  would  be 
the  coming  of  Christ  Himself.  It  is  the  privilege  of 
every  believer  in  Christ  to  have  the  living  Christ 
formed  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  his  own 
heart  and  therefore  the  Holy  Spirit  who  thus  forms 
Christ  within  the  heart  is  called  the  Spirit  of  Christ. 
How  wonderful !  How  glorious  is  the  significance  of 
this  name.  Let  us  ponder  it  until  we  understand  it,  as 
far  as  it  is  possible  to  understand  it,  and  until  we  rejoice 
exceedingly  in  the  glory  of  it. 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  Revealed  in  His  Names  SS 

VII.     ThtSpipt  ^f  Jtsus  Christ. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  the  Spirit  of  Jttus  Christ 
in  Phil,  i.  IQ,  "  For  I  know  that  this  shall  turn  to  my 
salvation  through  your  prayer,  and  the  supply  of  thi 
Spirit  ef  Jesus  Christ."     The  Spirit  is  not  merely  the 
Spirit  of  the  eternal  Word  but  the  Spirit  of  the  Word 
incarnate.     Not  merely  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  but  the 
Spirit  of  Jesus  Christ.     It  is  the  Man  Jesus  exalted  to 
the  right  hand  of  the  Father  who  receives  and  sends 
the  Spirit.     So  we  read  in  Acts  ii.  32,  33, "  This  Jesus 
hath  God  raised  up,  whereof  we  all  are   witnesses. 
Therefore  being  by  the  right  hand  of  God  exalted,  and 
having  received  of  the  Father  the  promise  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  He  hath  shed  forth  this,  which  ye  now  see  and 
hear." 

VIII.      The^S^jtj[Jesus. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  the  Spirit  tf  Jesus  in  Acts 
xvi.  6j7,  R.  V. , "  And  they  went  through  the  .egion  of 
Phiygia  and  Galatia,  having  been  forbidden  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  speak  the  word  in  Asia ;  and  when  they 
were  come  over  against  Mysia,  they  assayed  u  go  into 
Bithynia;  and  the  Spirit  of  Jesus  suffered  them  not." 
By  the  using  of  this  name,  "  The  Spirit  of  Jesus  "  the 
thought  of  the  relation  of  the  Spirit  to  the  Man  Jesus 
is  still  more  clear  than  in  the  name  preceding  this,  the 
Spirit  of  Jesus  Christ. 

IX.      The  Spirit  of  His  Son. 

The  rioly  Spirit  is"~cailed  the  Spirit  of  His  Son  in 
Gal.  iv.  6,  "  And  because  ye  are  sons,  God  hath  sent 
(orth  WiSpirit  'f  His  Son  into   your  hearts,  crying, 


I 
I 


t 


56    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

Abba,  Father."  We  tee  from  the  context  (vs.  4,  5) 
that,  this  name  is  given  to  the  Holy  Spirit  in  special 
connection  with  His  testifying  to  the  sonship  of  the 
believer.  It  is  **^.the  Spirit  0/ His  Stn  "  who  testifies  to 
our  sonship.  The  thought  is  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  a 
filial  Spirit,  a  Spirit  who  produces  a  sense  of  sonship  in 
us.  If  we  receive  the  Holy  Spirit,  we  no  longer  think 
of  God  as  if  we  were  serving  under  cons'  int  and 
bondage  but  we  are  sons  living  in  joyous  libe  We 

do  not  fear  God,  we  trust  Him  and  rejoice  t  Him. 
When  we  receive  the  Holy  Spirit,  we  do  not  receive  a 
Spirit  of  bondage  again  to  fear  but  a  Spirit  of  adoption 
whereby  we  cry,  Abba,  Father  (Rom.  viii.  15).  This 
name  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  one  of  the  most  suggestive 
of  all.  We  do  well,  to  ponder  it  long  until  we  realize 
the  glad  fullness  of  its  significance.  We  shall  take  it 
up  again  when  we  come  to  study  the  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  ' 


X.     The  Holy  Spirit. 

This  name  is  of  very  frequent  occurrence,  and  the 
name  with  which  most  of  us  are  most  familiar.  One 
of  the  most  familiar  passages  in  which  the  name  is  used 
is  Luke  xi.  13,  "  If  ye  then,  being  evil,  know  how  to 
give  good  gifts  unto  your  children :  how  much  more 
shall  your  heavenly  Father  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them 
that  ask  Him  ?  "  This  name  emphasizes  the  essential 
moral  character  of  the  Spirit.  He  is  holvjn  ^ipiself. 
We  are  so  familiar  with  the  name  that  we  neglect  to 
weigh  its  significance.  Oh,  if  we  only  realized  more 
deeply  and  constantly  that  He  is  the  Holy  Spirit.     We 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  Revealed  in  His  Names  57 

would  do  well  if  we,  as  the  teraphim  in  Isaiah's  vision, 
would   bow  in    His   presence   and   cry,  "  Holy,  holy, 
holy."     Yet    how  thoughtlessly   oftentimes   we    talk 
about  Him  and  pray  for  Him.    We  pray  for  Him  to 
come  into  our  churches  and  into  our  hearts  but  what 
would  He  find  if  He  should  come  there  if  Would  He 
not  find  much  that  would  be  painful  and  agonizing  to 
Him?\  What  would  we  thinlc  if  vile  women  from  the 
lowest  ^den  of  iniquity  in  a  great  city  should  go  to  the 
purest  woman  in  the  city  and  invite  her  to  come  and 
live  with  them  in  their  disgusting  vileness  with  no  in- 
tention of  changing  their  evil  ways.     But  that  would 
not  be  as  shocking  as  for  you  and  me  to  ask  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  come  and  dwell  in  our  hearts  when  we  have 
no  thought  of  giving  up  our  impurity,  or  our  selfish- 
ness, or  our  worldlincss,  or  our  sin.     It  would  not  be 
as  shocking  as  it  is  for  us  to  invite  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  come   into  our  churches  when   they  are   full   of 
worldliness  and  selfishness  and  contention  and  envy 
and  pride,  and  all  that  is  unholy.     But  if  the  denizens 
of  the  lowest  and  vilest  den  of  infamy  should  go  to  the 
purest  and   most  Christlike  woman  asicing  her  to  go 
and   dwell  with   them  with   the   intention   of  putting 
away  everything  that  was  vile  and  evil  and  giving  to 
this  holy  and  Christlikc  woman  the  entire  control  of 
the  place,  she  would  go.     And  as  sinful  anjselfish^d 
iniEerfect-as.-  we  «^-ber  th«- iafiniteiy  Holy  Spirit  is 
ready  to  cgme  j.nd  take  His  dwelling^  in  jOur  heart  if  we 
wiTT  surrender  to  Him  the  absolute  control  of  our  lives, 
and   allow  Him   to   bring  everything   in  thought  and 
fancy  and  feeling  and  purpose  and  imagination  and  ac- 


hi 


58    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


m 


•'I    'i 

:     -■ 


tion  into  conformity  with  Hit  will.  Tlie  infinitely 
Holy  Spirit  is  ready  to  come  into  our  churches,  how- 
ever imperfect  and  worldly  they  may  be  now,  if  we 
are  willing  to  put  the  absolute  control  of  everything  in 
His  hands.  But  let  us  never  foi^get  that  He  is  tbt 
Hofy  Spirit,  and  when  we  pray  for  Him  let  us  pray  for 
Him  as  such. 

XI.  The  Hofy  Spirit  of  Promise. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  the  Hofy  Spirit  of  promite 
in  Eph.  i.  13,  R.  V.,  *^  In  whom  ye  also,  having  heard 
the  Word  of  truth,  the  Gospel  of  your  salvation, — in 
whom,  having  also  believed,  ye  were  sealed  with  the 
Hofy  Spirit  of  promise."  We  have  here  the  same  name 
as  that  given  >bove  with  the  [added  thought  that  this 
Holy  Spirit  is  the  great  promise  of  the  Father  and  of 
the  Son.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  God's  great  all-inclusive 
promise  for  the  present  dispensation ;  the  one  thing  for 
which  Jesus  bade  the  disciples  wait  after  His  ascension 
before  they  undertook  His  work  was  **  the  promise  of 
the  Father,"  that  is  the  Holy  Spirit  (Acts  i.  4,  5). 
The  great  promise  of  the  Father  until  the  coming  of 
Christ  was  the  coming  atoning  Saviour  and  King,  but 
when  Jesus  came  and  died  His  atoning  death  upon  the 
cross  of  Calvary  and  arose  and  ascended  to  the  right 
hand  of  the  Father,  then  the  second,  .great^pioousc^f 
*l?lL.?i!?^.?r.wMj-h5JHeIy  Spirit  to  take  the  pUc«  9f  Qur 
absent  Lord.     (See  also  Acts  ii.  3V.) 

XII.  The  Spirit  of  Holiness. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  the  Spirit  of  holiness  in 
Rom,  i.  4,  *^  And  declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God  with 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  Revealed  in  His  Names  $9 

power,  according  to  tht  Spirit  of  holinits^  by  the  resurrec- 
tion from  the  dead."     At  the  first  glance  it  may  seem 
as  if  there  were  no  essential  difference  between  the 
two  names  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  Spirit  of  holiness. 
But  there  is  a  marked  difference.    The  name  of  the 
Holy  Spirit, .as  already  Mlii^emphasizes  the  essential 
moraLsbatiMlter  of  the  Spirit  as  holy,  but  the  name  of 
the  Sj^irit  of  holiness  brings  out  the  though't  that  the 
floly  TpTrit"  is  not  merely  holy  in  Himself  but  He 
imparts  holiness  to  others.    The  perfect  holiness  which 
He  Himself  possesses.  He  imparts  to  those  who  receive 
Him  (cf.  I  Pet.  i.  2). 

Xni.     ThtS^rilo£__Jiuigmtnt. 

The  Hoiy  Spirit  is  called  tbi  Spirit  of  judgment  in 
Isa.  iv.  4, "  When  the  Lord  shall  have  washed  away 
tBTTJltK^  of  the  daughters  of  Zion,  and  shall  have 
puiged  the  blood  of  Jerusalem  from  the  midst  thereof 
by  the  Spirit  of  judgment^  and  by  the  Spirit  of  burning." 
There  are  two  names  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  this  passage ; 
first,  the  Spirit  of  judgment.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  so 
called  because  it  is  His  work  to  bring  sin  to  light,  to 
convict  of  sin  (cf.  Tohn  xvi.  7-qV  When  the  Holy 
Spirit  comes  to  us  the  first  thing  that  He  does  is  to 
open  our  eyes  to  see  our  sins  as  God  sees  them.  He 
judges  our  sin.  (We  will  go  into  this  more  at  length  in 
studying  John  xvi.  7-1 1  when  considering  the  work  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.) 

XIV.     The  Spirit  of  Burning. 
This  name  is  used  in  the  passage  just  quoted  above. 
(Sec  XIII.)    This   name  emphasizes   His  searching. 


6o    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


i 


m 


if 
II 


refining,  dross-consuming,  illuminating  and  energizing 
work.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  like  a  fire  in  the  heart  in 
which  He  dwells  i  and  as  fire  tests  and  refines  and 
consumes  and  illuminates  and  warms  and  energizes,  so 
does  He.  In  the  context,  it  is  the  cleansing  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  which  is  especially  emphasized  (Isa.  iv.  3, 4). 

XV.  The  Spirit  tf  Truth. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  the  Spirit  of  truth  in 
John  xiv.  17,  ** Even  the  ^irit  of  truth}  whom  the 
worid  cannot  receive,  because  it  seeth  Him  not,  neither 
knoweth  Him;  but  ye  know  Him;  for  He  dwelleth 
with  you,  and  shall  be  in  you"  (cf.  John  xv.  26 }  xvi. 
13).  The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  the  Spirit  of  truth 
because  it  is  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  communi- 
cate truth,  to  impart  truth,  to  those  who  receive  Him. 
This  comes  out  in  the  passage  given  above,  and,  if 
possible,  it  comes  out  even  more  clearly  in  John  xvi. 
13,  R.  v.,  "  Howbcit  when  He,  tht  Spirit  of  truths  it 
come,  He  shall  guide  you  into  all  the  truth :  for  He 
shall  not  speak  from  Himself;  but  what  things  soever 
He  shall  hear,  these  shall  He  speak :  and  He  shall 
declare  unto  you  the  things  that  are  to  come."  All 
truth  is  from  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  is  only  as  He  teaches 
us  that  we  come  to  know  the  truth. 

XVI.  Tht  Spirit  of  Wisdom  and  Understanding, 
The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  the  Spirit  of  wisdom  and 

understanding  in  Isa.  xi.  j;,  "  And  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  shall  rest  upon  him,  the  Spirit  of  wisdom  and 
understanding,  the  Spirit  of    counsel   and  might,  the 


w 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  Revealed  in  His  Names  6i 

Spirit  of  knowledge  and  of  the  fear  of  the  Loao." 
The  ligniiicance  of  the  name  it  to  plain  as  to  need  no 
explanation.  It  it  evident  both  from  the  words  uied 
and  from  the  context  that  it  is  the  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  impart  wisdom  and  understanding  to  thwe 
who  receive  .^iipi  Those  who  receive  the  Holy  Spirit 
receive  the  Spirit  "  of  power  "  and  "  of  love  "  and  "  •/ 
a  itund  mind  "  or  sound  sense  (a  Tim.  i.  7). 

XVII.     ThtS^rittf  CeuHsel  and  Might. 

We  find  this  name  used  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the 
passage  given  under  the  preceding  head.  The  mean- 
ing of  this  name  too  is  obvious,  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
called  "  the  Spirit  of  counsel  and  of  might "  because 
He  gives  us  counsel  in  all  our  plans  and  strength  to 
carry  them  out  (cf.,^siajmi.  29  '»  xvi.  6^  7  \  i.  8).  It 
is  our  privilege  to  have  God's  own  counsel  in  all  our 
plans  and  God's  strength  in  all  the  work  that  we 
undertake  for  Him.  We  receive  them  by  receiving 
the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Spirit  of  counsel  and  might. 

XVni.     Tbt  Spirit  of  Knowledge  and  of  the  Fear  of 

the  Lord. 

This  name  also  is  used  in  the  passage  given  above 
(Isa.  xi.  2).  The  significance  of  this  name  is  also 
obvious'."'  It  is  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  impart 
knowledge  to  us  and  to  beget  in  us  a  reverence  for 
Jehovah,  that  reverence  that  reveals  itself  above  all  in 
obedience  to  His  commandments.  The  one  who 
receives  the  Holy  Spirit  finds  his  delight  in  the  fear  of 
the  Lord.     (See  Isa.  xl.  3,  R.  V.)    The  three  sug- 


62    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

gettive  namea  ju«t  given  refer  etpecially  to  the  gracioui 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  servant  of  the  Lord, 
that  it  Jesus  Christ  (Isa.  xi.  1-5). 


f*. 


' 


it 


r. 


XIX.     Tht  Spirit  of  Lift. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  tht  Sptrtt  of  lift  in  Rom, 
viii.  2,  "  For  the  l?w  of  tht  Spirit  of  lift  in  Christ  Jesus 
hatti  made  me  free  from  the  law  of  sin  and  death." 
The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  the  Spirit  of  life  because  it  is 
His  work  to  impart  life  (cf.  John  vi.  63,  R.  V. ;  Ezek. 
xxxvii.  i-io).  In  the  context  in  which  the  name  is 
found  in  the  passage  given  above,  beginning  back  in 
the  seventh  chapter  of  Romans,  seventh  verse,  Paul  is 
drawing  a  contrast  between  the  law  of  Moses  outside  a 
man,  holy  and  just  and  good,  it  is  true,  but  impotent, 
and  the  living  Spirit  of  God  in  the  heart,  imparting 
spiritual  and  moral  life  to  the  believer  and  enabling 
him  thus  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  law  of  God, 
so  that  what  the  law  alone  could  not  do,  in  that  it  was 
weak  through  the  flesh,  the  Spirit  of  God  imparting 
life  to  the  believer  and  dwelling  in  the  heart  enables 
him  to  do,  so  that  the  righteousness  of  the  law  is  ful- 
filled in  those  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh  but  after 
the  Spirit.  (See  Rom.  viii.  2-4.)  The  Holy  Spirit  is 
therefore  called  **  the  Spirit  of  Ufc,"  because  He  im- 
pam jpiritual.  life ^and  consequent  victory AYCIsixLto 
those  who  receive  Him. 


XX.    Tht^QiL^PSMms. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  the  "  oil  of  gladness  "  in 
Heb.  i.  9,  **  Thou  hast  loved  righteousness,  and  hated 


Tbe  Holy  Spirit  as  Revealed  in  His  Names  63 

iniquity  i  therefore  God,  even  thy  God,  hath  anointed 
thee  with  the  oil  of  gladntss  above  thy  fellows."     Some 
one  may  ask  what  reason  have  we  for  supposing  that 
**the  oii  of  gladness  "  in  this  passage  is  a  name  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.     The  answer  is  found  in  a  comparison  of 
Heb.  i.  9,  with  Acts  x.  38  and  Luke  iv.  18.     In  Acts 
X.  38  we  read  "  how  God  anointed  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  with  power,"  and  in  Luke 
iv.  18,  Jesus  Himself  is  recorded  as  saying, "  Tht  Spirit 
0/  tbe  Lord  it  upon  Me,  because  He  hath  anointtd  Me 
to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  poor,"  etc.     In  both  of 
these  passages,  we  are  told  it  was  tbi  Holy  Spirit  with 
tubicb  Jtsus  was  anointed  and  as  in  the  passage  in  He- 
brews we  are  told  that  it  was  witb  tbe  oil  0/ gladness  that 
He  was  anointed ;  so,  of  course,  the  only  possible  con- 
clusion is  that  the  oil  of  gladness  means  the  Holy 
Spirit.     What  a  beautiful  and  suggestive  name  it  i<  for 
Him  whose  fruit  is,  first,  "  love "  then  "joy"  (Gal. 
V.  22).     The  Holy  Spirit  becomes  a  source  of  bound- 
less joy  to  those  who  receive  Him ;  He  so  fills  and  satis- 
fies the  soul,  that  the  soul  who  receives  Him  does  not 
thirst  forever  (John  iv.  14).     NojTia«cr_hpw j^eat  the 
afflictions  with  which  the  believer  receives  the  Word, 
s'tiTl'he'wifrhave  "  tbe  joy  of  tbe  Holy  Ghost"  (1  Thess. 
i~.  6).     On  the  Day  of  Pentecost,  when  the  disciples 
were  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  they  were  so  filled 
with  ecstatic  joy  that  others  looking  on  them  thought 
they  were  intoxicated.     They  said,  "  These  men  are 
full  of  new  wine."     And  Paul  draws  a  comparison  be- 
tween abnormal  intoxication  that  comes  through  excess 
of  wine  and  the  wholesome  exhilaration  from  which 


64    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

there  is  no  reaction  that  comr:  through  being  filled 
with  the  Spirit  (Eph.  v.  18-20).  When  God  anoints 
one  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  it  is  as  if  He  broke  a  precious 
alabaster  box  of  oil  of  gladness  above  their  heads  until 
it  ran  down  to  the  hem  of  their  garments  and  the  whole 
person  was  suffused  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of 
glory. 


XXI.  The^S^jt  of  Grace. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  '*  the  Spirit  of  grace  "  in 
Heb.  x^  2^  *^  Of  how  much  sorer  punishment,  sup- 
pose ye,  shall  he  be  thought  worthy,  who  hath  trod- 
den underfoot  the  Son  of  God,  and  hath  counted  the 
blood  of  the  covenant,  wherewith  he  was  sanctified, 
an  unholy  thing,  and  hath  done  despite  unto  tht  Spirit 
of  grace  f  "  This  name  brings  out  the  fact  that  it  is 
the  Holy  Spirit's  work  to  administer  and  apply  the 
grace  of  God  :  He  Himself  is  gracious,  it  is  true,  but 
the  name  means  far  more  than  that,  it  means  that  He 
makes  ours  experimentally  tlie  manifold  grace  of  God. 
It  is  only  by  the  work  of  the  Spirit  of  grace  in  our 
hearts  that  we  are  enabled  to  appropriate  to  ourselves 
that  infinite  fullness  of  grace  that  God  has,  from  the 
beginning,  bestowed  upon  us  in  Jesus  Christ.  It  \% 
ojm„fiPJtn.ihc..  beginning,  as  far  as  belonging  to  us  is 
concerned,  but  it  is  only  ours  experimentally  as  we 
claim  it  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit  of  grace. 

XXI I .  The  Spirit  (f  Grece  and  of  Supplication. 
The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  *^  the  Spirit  of  grace  and  of 

supplication  "  in  Zech.  xii.  10.  R.  V.,  "  And  I  will 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  Revealed  in  His  Names  65 

pour  upon  the  house  of  David,  and  upon  the  inhabit- 
ants of  Jerusalem,  the  Spirit  of  graci  and  of  supplication  ; 
and  they  shall  look  unto  Me  whom  they  have  pierced  : 
and  they  shall  mourn  for  him,  as  one  moumeth  for  his 
only  son,  and  shall  be  in  bitterness  for  his  first-born." 
The  phrase,  "  the  Spirit  of  grace  and  of  supplication  " 
in  this  passage  is  beyond  a  doubt  a  name  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  The  name  "  the  Spirit  of  grace  "  we  have  al- 
ready had  under  the  preceding  head,  but  here  there  is  a 
further  thought  of  that  operation  of  grace  that  leads  us 
to  pray  intensely.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  so  called  because 
it  is  He  that  teaches  to  pray  because  all  true  prayer  is 
in  the  Spirit  (Judc  20).  We  of  ourselves  know  not 
how  to  pray  as  we  ought,  but  it  is  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  of  intercession  to  make  intercession  for  us 
w  ith  groanings  which  cannot  be  uttered  and  to  lead  us 
out  in  prayer  according  to  the  will  of  God  (Rom. 
viii.  26,  27).  Xhe.Sfi.cret  of  all  true  and  effective  pray- 
infcjs  knowing  the  Holy  Spirit  a& '*  the  Spirit  of  grace 
and  of  supplication." 


XXIII.     The  Spirit  of  Glory. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  "  the  Spirit  of  glory  "  in 
i_Pet.  iv.  i^, "  If  ye  be  reproached  for  the  name  of 
Christ,  happy  are  ye  ;  for  the  Spirit  of  glory  and  of  God 
resteth  upon  you :  on  their  part  He  is  evil  spoken  of, 
but  on  your  part  He  is  glorified."  This  name  does 
not  merely  teach  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  infinitely 
glorious  Himself,  but  it  rather  teaches  that  He  imparts 
the  glory  of  God  to  us,  just  as  the  Spirit  of  truth  im- 
parts truth  to  us,  and  as  the  Spirit  of  life  imparts  life 


66    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


If- 
I' 


u 


ir 
f  . 

f  '. 

I 


to  US,  and  as  the  Spirit  of  wisdom  and   understand- 
ing and  of  counsel  and  might  and  knowledge  and  of 
the  fear  of  the  Lord  imparts  to  us  wisdom  and  under- 
sunding  and  counsel  and  might  and   knowledge  and 
the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  as  the  Spirit  of  grace  applies 
and  administers  to  us  the  manifold  grace  of  God,^o 
*the  Spirit  of  glory  is  the  administrator  to  us  of  God's 
gloi^ — In  the'  ImrnediatcTy  preceding  verse  we  read, 
"But  rejoice,  inasmuch  as  ye  are  partakers  of  Christ's 
sufferings :  that,  when  His  glory  shall  be  revealed,  ye 
may  be  glad  also  with  exceeding  joy."     It  is  in  this 
connection  that  He  is  called  the  Spirit  of  glory.    We 
find  a  similar  connection  between  the  sufFerings  which 
we  endure  and  the  glory  which  the  Holy  Spirit  imparts 
to  us  in  Rom.  viii.  i6, 17,  "The  Spirit  Himself  beareth 
witness  with  our  spirit,  that  we  are  children  of  God  : 
and  if  children,  then  heirs ;   heirs  of  God  and  joint- 
heirs  with  Christ }  ;/  so  be  that  we  suffer  with  Him, 
that   we    may    be    also    glorified   with    Him.**     The 
Holy  Spirit  is  the  administrator  of  glory  £s  well  as 
of  grace,  or   rather  of  the  grace  that  culminates  in 
glory. 

XXIV.    ThxMamLJSpirit. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  "  the  eternal  Spirit "  in 
Heb.  ix.  14,  "  How  much  more  shall  the  blood  of 
ChTTsVwiio  through  the  eternal  Spirit  offered  Himself 
without  spot  to  God,  purge  your  conscience  from  dead 
works  to  serve  the  living  God."  The  eternity  and  the 
Deity  and  infinite  majesty  of  the  Holy  Spirit  are 
brought  out  by  this  name. 


, 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  Revealed  in  His  Names  67 

XXV.      The  Comforter. 

The   Holy  Spirit  is  called  "the  Comforter"  over 
and  over  again  in  the  Scriptures.     For  example  in  John 
xiv.  26,  we  read,  "  But  the  Comforter  which  is  the  Holy 
Ghost,  whom  the  Father  will  send  in  My  name,  He 
shall  teach  you  all  things,  and  bring  all  things  to  your 
remembrance,  whatsoever  I  have  said  unto  you."     And 
in  John   xv.  26,  "  But   when  the  Comforter  is   come, 
whom  I  wifTsend    unto  you  from  the  Father,  even 
the  Spirit  of  truth,  which  proceedeth  from  the  Father, 
He  shall  testify   of  Me."     (See   also  John  xvi.  27.) 
The  word   translated  "  Comforter  "  in  these  passages 
means  that,  but  it  means  much  more  beside.     It  is  a 
word   difficult  of  adequate   translation    into  any   one 
word   in   English.     The   translators   of   the   Revised 
Version  found  difficulty  in  deciding  with  what  word  to 
render  the   Greek   word   so   translated.     They    have 
suggested  in  the  margin  of  the  Revised  Version  "  ad- 
vocate "  "  helper "  and   a  simple  transference  of  the 
Greek  word    into   English, "  Paraclete."     The  word 
translated  "  Comforter  "    means  literally,  **  one  called 
to  another's  side,"  the  idea  being,  one  right  at  hand  to 
take  another's  part.     It  is  the  same  word  that  is  trans- 
lated "  advocate  "  in  i  Jnhn  ii.  1.  "  My  little  children, 
these  things  write  I  unto  you,  that  ye  sin  not.     And  if 
any  man   sin,  we   have  an  advocate  with  the  Father, 
Jesus  Christ  the  righteous."     But  "advocate,"  as  we 
now  understand  it,  does  not  give  the  full  force  of  the 
Greek  word  so  rendered.     Etymologically  "  advocate  " 
means   nearly   the    same   thing.     Advocate   is    Latin 
("  advocatus  ")  and  it  means  "  one  called  to  another  to 


A 


68    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

i 

take  his  part,"  but  in  our  modern  usage,  the  word  bat 
acquired  a  restricted  meaning.    The  Greek  word  trans- 
lated "  Comforter  "  (Parakleetos)  meuns  "  one   called 
alongside,"  that  is  one  called  to  stand  constantly  by 
one's  side  and  who  is  ever  ready  to  stand  by  us  and 
take  our  part  in  everything  in  which  his  help  is  needed. 
It  is  a  wonderfully  tender  and  expressive  name  for  the 
Holy  One.     Sometimes  when  we  think   of  the  Htly 
Spirity  He  seems  to  be  so  far  away,  but  when  we  think 
of  the  Parakleetos,  or  in  plain  English  our  *^  Stand- 
byer  "  or  our  "  part-taker,"  how  near  He  is.     Up  to 
the  time  that  Jesus  made  this  promise  to  the  disciples. 
He  Himself  had  been  their  Parakleetos.    When  they 
were   in   any  emergency  or  difficulty  they  turned  to 
Him.     On  one  occasion,  for  example,  the  disciples 
were  in  doubt  as  to  how  to  pray  and  they  turned  to  Jesus 
and  said,  "  Lord,  teach  us  to  pray."     And  the  Lord 
taught  them  the  wonderful  prayer  that  has  come  down 
through  the  ages  (Luke  xi.  1-4).     On  another  occa- 
sion, Peter  was  sinking  in  the  waves  of  Galilee  and 
he   cried,  "  Lord,    save,  me,"  and  immediately  Jesus 
stretched  forth  His    hand  and  caught  him  and  saved 
him  (Matt.  xiv.   30,  31).     In  every   extremity   they 
turned  to  Him.     Just  so  now  that  Jesus  is  gone  to  the 
Father,  we  have  another  Person,  just  as  Divine  as  He 
is,  just  as  wise  as  He,  just  as   strong  as  He,  just  as 
loving  as  He,  just  as  tender  as   He,  just  as  ready  and 
just  as  able  to  help,  who  is  always  right  by  our  side. 
Yes,  better  yet,  who  dwells  in  our  heart,  who  will  take 
hold  and  help  if  we  only  trust  Him  to  do  it. 

If  the  truth  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  set  forth  in  the 


7 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  Revealed  in  His  Names  69 

name   "  Paraklectos "  once  gets   into  our  heart   and 
abides  there,  it  will  baimh  jdl  lonelinessjoreyer ;  for 
how  can  we  ever  be  lonely  when  this  best  of  all  Friends 
is  ever  with  us  ?     In  the  last  eight  years,  I  have  been 
called  upon  to  endure  what  would  naturally  be  a  very 
lonely  life.     Most  of  the   time  I  am  separated  from 
wife  and  children  by  the  calls  of  duty.     For  eighteen 
months  consecutively,  I  was  separated  from  almost  all 
my  family  by  many  thousands  of  miles.     The  loneli- 
ness would  have  been  unendurable  were  it  not  for  the 
one  all-sufficient  Friend,  who  was  always  with  me.     I 
recall  one  night  walking  up  and   down  the  deck  of  a 
storm-tossed  steamer  in  the  South  Seas.     Most  of  my 
family  were  18,000  miles  away  ;  the  remaining  member 
of   my  family  was   not  with  me.     The  officers  were 
busy  on  the  bridge,  and  I  was  pacing  the  deck  alone, 
and  the  thought  came  to  me, "  Here  you  are  all  alone." 
Then  another  thought  came,  "  I  am  not  alone  ;  by  my 
side   as   I  walk  this  deck  in  the  loneliness   and  the 
storm  walks  the  Holy  Spirit "  and   He   was  enough. 
I  said  something  like  this  once  at  a  Bible  conference 
in  St.  Paul.     A  doctor  came  to  me  at  the  close  of  the 
meeting  and  gently  said,  "  I  want  to  thank  you  for 
that  thought   about  the   Holy  Spirit  always  being  with 
us.     I  am  a  doctor.     Oftentimes  I  have  to  drive  far 
out  i     the  country  in  the  night  and  storm  to  attend  a 
case,  and  I  have  often  been  so  lonely,  but  I  will  never 
be  lonely  ^ain.     I  will  always  know  that  by  my  side 
in  my  doctor's  carriage,  the  Holy  Spirit  goes  with  me." 
If  this  thought  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  the  ever-present 
Paraclete  once  gets  into  your  heart  and  abides  there,  it 


14 


;o    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

will  banish  all  fear  forever.     How  can  we  be  afraid  in 
the  face  of  any  peril,  if  this  Divine  One  is  by  our  side 
to  counsel  us  and  to  take  our  part  ?     There  may  be  a 
howling  mob  about  us,  or  a  lowering  storm,  it  matters 
not.     He  stands  between  us  and  both  mob  and  storm. 
One  night  I  had  promised  to  walk  four  miles  to  a 
friend's  house  after  an  evening  session  of  a  conference. 
The  path  led  along  th«  side  of  a  lake.     As  I  started 
for  my  friend's  house,  a  thunder-storm  was  coming  up. 
I  had  not  counted  on  this  but  as  I  had  promised,  I  felt 
I  ought  to  go.    The  path  led  along  the  edge  of  the 
lake,  oftentimes  very   near  to  the  edge,  sometimes  the 
lake  was  near  the  path  and  sometimes  many  feet  below. 
The  night  was  so  dark  with  the  clouds  one  could  not 
see  ahead.     Now  and  then  there  would  be  a  blinding 
flash  of  lightning  in  which  you  could  see  where  the  path 
was  washed  away,  and  then  it  would  be  blacker  than 
ever.     You  could  hear  the  lake  booming  below.     It 
seemed  a  dangerous  place  to  walk  but  that  very  week, 
I  had  been  speaking  upon  the  Personality  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  about  the   Holy  Spirit  as  an  ever-present 
Friend,  and  the  thought  came  to  me,  "  What  was  it 
you  were  telling  the  people  in  the  address  about  the 
Holy  Spirit  as  an  ever-present  Friend  ? "     And  then  I 
said  to  myself,  "  Between  me  and  the  boiling  lake  and 
the   edge  of  the   path  walks  the  Holy  Spirit,"  and  I 
pushed    on   fearless    and   glad.      When   we   were  in 
London,  a  young  lady  attended  the  meeting  one  after- 
noon in  the  Royal  Albert  Hall.     She  had  an  abnormal 
fear  of  the  dark.     It  was  absolutely  impossible  for  her 
to  go  into  a  dark  room  alone,  but  the  thought  of  the 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  Revealed  in  His  Names  71 

Holy  Spirit  as  an  ever-present  Friend  sank  into  her 
mind.     She  went  home  and  told  her  mother  what  a 
wonderful  thought  she  had  heard  that  day,  and  how  it 
had  banished  forever  all  fear  from  her.     It  was  already 
growing  very  dark  in  the  London  winter  afternoon  and 
her  mother  looked  up  and  said,  "Very  well,  let  us 
see  if  it  is  real.     Go  up  to  the  top  of  the  house  and 
shut  yourself  alone  in  a  dark  room."     She  instantly 
sprang  to  her  feet,  bounded  up  the  stairs,  went  into  a 
room  that  was  totally  dark  and  shut  the  door  and  sat 
down.     All  fear  was  gone,  and  as  she  wrote  the  next 
day,  the  whole  room  seemed  to  be  filled  with  a  wonder- 
ful glory,  the  glory  of  the  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
In  the  thought  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  the  Paraclete 
there  is  also  a  cure  for  insomnia.     For  two  awful  years, 
I  suffered  from  insomnia.     Night  after  night  I  would 
go  to  bed  apparently  almost  dead  for  sleep  i  it  seemed 
as  though  I  must  sleep,  but  I  could  not  sleep ;  oh,  the 
agony  of  those  two  years !     It  seemed  as  if  I  would 
lose  my  mind  if  I  did  not  get  relief.     Relief  came  at 
last  and  for  years  I  went  on  without  the  suggestion 
of  trouble  from  'nsomnia.     Then  one  night  I  retired 
to   my  room  in  the  Institute,  lay  down  expecting  to 
fall  asleep  in  a  moment  as  I  usually   did,  but  scarcely 
had    my    head   touched   the   pillow  when   I   became 
aware    that  insomnia   was  back   again.     If    one   has 
ever  had  it,  he  never  forgets  it  and  never  mistakes 
it.     It   seemed   as    if  insomnia   were   sitting   on   the 
foot-board  of  my  bed,  grinning  at  me  and  saying,  "  I  am 
back  again  for  another  two  years."     "  Oh,"  I  thought, 
"  two  more  awful  years  of  insomnia."     But  that  very 


.h 


72    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


U-' 


nnorning,  I  had  been  lecturing  to  our  students  in  the 
Institute  about  the  Personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and 
about  the  Holy  Spirit  as  an  ever-present  Friend,  and 
at  once  the  thought  came  to  me,  **  What  were  you 
talking  to  the  students  about  this  morning?  What 
were  you  telling  them  ? "  and  I  looked  up  and  said, 
**  Thou  blessed  Spirit  of  God,  Thou  art  here.  I  am 
not  alone.  If  Thou  hast  anything  to  say  to  me,  I  will 
listen,"  and  He  began  to  open  to  me  some  of  the  deep 
and  precious  things  about  my  Lord  and  Saviour,  things 
that  filled  my  soul  with  joy  and  rest,  and  the  next  thing 
I  knew  I  was  asleep  and  the  next  thing  I  knew  it  was 
to-morrow  morning.  So  whenever  insomnia  has  come 
my  way  since,  I  have  simply  remembered  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  was  there  and  I  have  looked  up  to  Him  to  speak 
to  me  and  to  teach  me  and  He  has  done  so  and  insomnia 
has  taken  its  flight. 

In  the  thought  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  the  Paraclete 
there  is  a  cure  for  a  breaking  heart.  How  many  aching, 
breaking  hearts  there  are  in  this  world  of  ours,  so  full 
of  death  and  separation  from  those  we  most  dearly  love. 
How  many  a  woman  there  is,  who  a  few  years  ago,  or 
a  few  months  or  a  few  weeks  ago,  had  no  care,  no 
worry,  for  by  her  side  was  a  Christian  husband  who 
was  so  wise  and  strong  that  the  wife  rested  all  responsi- 
bility upon  him  and  she  walked  care-free  through  life 
and  satisfied  with  his  love  and  companionship.  But 
one  awful  day,  he  was  taken  from  her.  She  was  left 
alone  and  all  the  cares  and  responsibilities  rested  upon 
her.  How  empty  that  heart  has  been  ever  since ;  how 
empty  the  whole  world  has  been.    She  has  just  dragged 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  Revealed  in  His  Names  73 


V 


through  her  life  and  her  duties  u  best  she  could  with 
an  aching  and  almost  breaking  heart.  But  there  is  One, 
if  she  only  knew  it,  wiser  and  more  loving  than 
the  tenderest  husband.  One  willing  to  bear  all  the  care 
and  responsibilities  of  life  for  her,  One  who  is  able,  if 
she  will  only  let  Him,  to  fill  every  nook  and  corner 
of  her  empty  and  aching  heart }  that  One  is  the  Paraclete. 
I  said  something  like  this  in  St.  Andrews'  Hall  in 
Glasgow.  At  the  close  of  the  meeting  a  sad-faced 
Christian  woman,  wearing  a  widow's  garb,  came  to  me 
as  I  stepped  out  of  the  hall  into  the  reception  room. 
She  hurried  to  me  and  said,  **  Dr.  Torrey,  this  is  the 
anniversary  of  my  dear  husband's  death.  Just  one  year 
ago  to-day  he  was  taken  from  me.  I  came  to-day  to 
see  if  you  could  not  speak  some  word  to  help  me. 
You  have  given  me  just  the  word  I  need.  I  will  never 
be  lonesome  again."  A  year  and  a  half  passed  by.  I 
was  on  the  yacht  of  a  friend  on  the  lochs  of  the  Clyde. 
One  day  a  little  boat  put  out  from  shore  and  came 
alongside  the  yacht.  One  of  the  first  to  come  up  the 
side  of  the  yacht  was  this  widow.  She  hurried  to  me 
and  the  first  thing  she  said  was,  *^  The  thought  that 
you  gave  me  that  day  in  St.  Andrews'  Hall  on  the 
anniversary  of  my  husband's  leaving  me  has  been  with 
me  ever  since,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  does  satisfy  me  and 
fill  my  heart." 

But  it  is  in  our  work  for  our  Master  that  the  thought 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  the  Paraclete  comes  with  greatest 
helpfulness.  I  think  it  may  be  permissible  to  illustrate 
it  from  my  own  experience.  I  entered  the  ministry 
because  I  was  literally  forced  to.     For  years  I  refused 


>}  V"' 


74    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

to  be  a  Christian,  because  I  was  determined  that  I 
would  not  be  a  preacher,  and  I  feared  that  il  I  sur- 
rendered  to  Christ   I  must  enter  the  ministry.     My 
conversion  turned  upon  my  yielding  to  Him  at  this 
point.    The   night   I  yielded,  I  did  not  say,  "  I  will 
accept  Christ  "  or  "  I  will  give  up  sii ,"  or  anything  of 
that  sort,  I  simply  cried,  "  Take  this  awful  burden  off 
my  heart,  and  I  will  preach  the  Gospel."     But  no  one 
could  be  less  fitted  by  natural  temperament  for  the 
ministry  than  I.     From  early  boyhood,  I  was  extra- 
ordinarily timid  and  bashful.     Even  after  I  had  entered 
Yale  College,  when  I  would  go  home  in  the  summer 
and  my  mother  would  call  me  in  to  meet  her  friends, 
I  was  so  frightened  that  when  I  thought  I  spoke  I  did 
not  make  an  audible  soiind.     When  her  friends  had 
gone,  my  mother  would  ask,  "Why  didn't  you  say 
something  to  them  ?  "     And  I  would  reply  that  I  sup- 
posed I  had,  but  my  mother  would  say,  "  You  did  not 
utter  a  sound."     Think  of  a  young  fellow  like  that 
entering  the  ministry.     I  never  mustered  courage  even 
to  speak  in  a  public  prayer-meeting  until  after  I  was  in  the 
theological  seminary      Then  I  felt,  if  I  was  to  enter 
the  ministry,  I   must  be  able  to  at  least  speak  in  a 
prayer-meeting.     I  learned  a  little  piece  by  heart  to 
say,  but  when  the  hour  came,  I  forgot  much  of  it  in 
my  terror.     At   the  critical   moment,  I   grasped   ihe 
back  of  the  settee  in   front  of  me  and   pulled  myself 
hurriedly  to  my  feet  and  held  on  to  the  settee.     One 
Niagara  seemed  to  be  going  up  one  side  and  another 
down  another;  my  voice  faltered.     I  repeated  as  much 
as  I  could  remember  and  sat  down.     Think  of  a  man 


•   'I 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  Revealed  in  His  Names  75 


like  that  entering  the  ministry.     In  the  early  days  of 
my  ministry,  I  would  write  my  sermons  out  in  full  and 
commit  them  to  memory,  stand  up  and  twist  a  button 
until  I  had  repeated  it  otF  as  best  I  could  and  would 
then  sink  back  into  the  puipit  chair  with  a  sense  of 
relief  that  that  was  over  for  another  week.     I  cannot 
tell    you  what  I  suiFered  in  those  early  days  of  my 
ministry.     But  the  glad   day  came  when  I  came  to 
know  the  Holy  Spirit  as  the    Paraclete.     When  the 
thought  got  possession  of  me  jhat  when  I  stood  up  to 
pre  xh,  there  was  Another  who  stood  by  my  side,  that 
while  the  audience  saw  me  God  saw  Him,  and  that  the 
responsibility  was   all   upon    Him,  and   that    He  was 
abundantly  able  to  meet  it  and  care  for  it  all,  and  that 
all  I  had  to  do  was  to  stand  back  as  far  out  of  sight  as 
possible  and  let  Him  do  the  work.     I  have  no  dread  of 
preaching  now ;  preaching  is  the  greatest  joy  of  my 
life,  and  sometimes  when    I  stand  up  to  speak   and 
realize  that  He  is  there,  that  all  the  responsibility  is 
upon  Him,  such  a  joy  fills  my  heart  that  I  can  scarce 
restrain  myself  from  shouting  and  leaping.     He  is  just 
as  ready  to  help  us  in  all  our  work ;  in  our  Sunday- 
school  classes  ;  in  our  personal  work  rnd  in  every  other 
line  of  Christian  eiFort.     Many  hesitate  to  speak  to 
{others  about  accepting  Christ.     They  are  afraid  they 
Iwill  not  say  the  right  thing  •,  they  fear  that  they  will  do 
Inore  harm  than   they  will  good.     You  certainly  will 
If  you  do  it,  but  if  you  will  jusi  believe  in  the  Para- 
Jblete  and  trust  Him  to  say  it  and  to  say  it  in  His  way, 
Wou  will    never   do  harm   but  always  good.     It  may 
Iseem  at  the  time  that  you  have  accumplished  nothing. 


Ni 


0 


76    The  Penon  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

but  perhaps  years  after  you  will  find  out  you  have 

accomplished  much  and  even  if  you  do  not  find  it  out 

in  this  world,  you  will  find  it  out  in  eternity. 

/'    There  are  many  ways  in  which  the  Paraclete  stands 

/   by  us  and  helps  us  of  which  we  will  speak  at  length 

<    when  we  come  to  study  His  work.     He  stands  by  us 

i   when  we  pray  (Rom.  viii.  26,  27)}  when  we  study 

I   the  Word  (John  xiv.  26)  xvi.  12-14)1  when  we  do 

i    personal  work  (Acts  viii.  29))   when   we  preach  or 

I    teach  (i  Cor.  ii.  4)}  when  we  are  tempted  (Rom.  viii. 

i    a)  i  when  we  leave  this  world  (Acts  vii.  54-60).     Let 

us   get   this  thought    firmly  fixed  now  and    for   all 

time  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  One  called  to  our  side  to 

take  our  part. 


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Ever  present,  trueit  Friend, 
Ever  near.  Thine  aid  to  lend." 


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The  W^'lv 

'  '/  "  -    Universe  ^i*'- 

-»•'  f  ■    'o,  :  ) 

\iV  RF  fl'5  T.ai.v  who  think  of  the  work  of 
-.'it  H  !/  :)•)!.  t  ^  limited  to  mtn.  But  God 
re  ci'i?;  o  us  r  Hit  Word  that  the  Holy 
Sp  '  s  \v  1  h\.  a  V  wiier  scope  than  this.  We  are 
taught  ir.  >u  .1'!.  thut  the  Holy  Spirit  has  a  threefold 
work  in  the  inuteiiai  universe. 

Xi  Ti  f  .■'  ^i'.'/i  of  tht  matirial  universe  and  tfman  is 
efficted  tbrjuguibi  agency  of  the  Hehf  Spirit. 

We  read  in  Ps.  xxxiii.  6> "  By  the  word  of  the  Lord 
were  the  heavens  made }  and  all  the  host  of  them  ky 
the  hreatb  ef  His  mtutb.**  We  have  already  seen  in 
our  study  of  the  names  of  the  Holy  Spirit  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  the  breath  of  Jbhovah,  so  this  passage 
teaches  us  that  all  the  hosts  of  heaven,  all  the  stellar 
worlds,  were  made  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  We  are  taught 
explicitly  in  Job  xxxiii.  4,  that  the  creation  of  man  is 
the  Holy  Spirit's  work.  We  read,  »*  The  Spirit  0/  Ged 
hath  made  me,  and  the  brea'^  of  the  Almighty  hath 
given  me  life."  Here  both  th>  creation  of  the  material 
frame  and  the  impartation  of  lite  are  attributed  to  the 
agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  In  other  passages  of  Scrip, 
ture  we  are  taught  that  creation  was  in  and  through 
the  Son  of  God.     For  example  we  read  in  Col.  i.  16, 


^  tC 


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Jii-'X') 


78    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

R.  v.,  "  For  in  Him  were  all  things  created,  in  the 
heavens  and  upon  the  earth,  tilings  visible  and  things 
invisible,  whether  thrones  or  dominions  or  principali- 
ties or  powers ;  all  things  have  been  created  through 
Him  and  unto  Hi:n."  In  a  similar  way  we  read  in 
Heb.  i.  2,  that  God  "  hath  at  the  end  of  these  days 
spoken  unto  us  in  His  Son,  whom  He  appointed  heir 
of  all  things,  through  whom  also  He  made  the  worlds 
(ages)."  In  the  passage  given  above  (Ps.  xxxiii.  6),  the 
Word  as  well  as  the  Spirit  are  mentioned  in  connec- 
tion with  creation.  In  the  account  of  the  creation 
and  the  rehabilitation  of  this  world  to  be  the  abode  of 
man,  Father,  Word  and  Holy  Spirit  are  all  mentioned 
(Gen.  i.  1-3).  It  is  evident  from  a  comparison  of 
these  passages  that  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit  are 
all  active  in  the  creative  work.  The  Father  works  in 
His  Son,  through  His  Spirit. 

^  Not  only  is  the  original  creation  of  the  material 
universe  attributed  to  the  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
the  Bible  but  the  waintenance  of  living  creatures  as 
well. 

We  read  in  Ps.  civ.  2Q,  -^o,  "  Thou  hidest  Thy  face, 
they  are  troubled:  Thou  takcst  away  their  breath, 
they  die,  and  return  to  their  dust.  Thou  sendest  forth 
Thy  Spirit^  they  are  created  :  and  Thou  renewest  the  face 
of  the  earth."  The  clear  indication  of  this  passage  is 
that  not  only  are  things  brought  into  being  through  the 
agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  that  they  are  maintained 
in  being  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  Not  only  is  spiritual  life 
maintained  by  the  Spirit  of  God  but  material  being  as 
well.     Things  exist  and  continue  by  the  presence  of 


If  i 

11  = 


The  Holy  Spirit  in  the  Material  Universe    79 

the  Spirit  of  God  in  them.  This  docs  not  mean  for  a 
moment  that  the  universe  is  God,  but  it  does  mean  that 
the  universe  is  maintained  in  its  being  by  the  imma- 
nence of  God  in  it.  This  is  the  great  and  solemn  truth 
that  lies  at  the  foundation  of  the  awful  and  debasing 
perversions  of  Pantheism  in  its  countless  forms. 

^i^  But  not  only  is  the  universe  created  through 
the  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  maintained  in  its  ex- 
istence through  the  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  the 
development  of  the  earlier^  chaotic^  undeveloped  states  of  the 
material  universe  into  higher  orders  of  being  is  effected 
through  the  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

We  read  in  Gen,  i.  2,  3,  « And  the  earth  was  (or 
became)  without  form  and  void ;  and  darkness  was 
upon  the  face  of  the  deep.  And  the  Spirit  of  God 
moved  upon  the  face  of  the  waters.  And  God  said. 
Let  there  be  light :  and  there  was  light."  We  may 
take  this  account  to  refer  either  to  the  original  crea- 
tion of  the  universe,  or  we  may  take  it  as  the  deeper 
students  of  the  Word  are  more  and  more  inclining  to 
take  it,  as  the  account  of  the  rehabilitation  of  the  earth 
after  its  plunging  into  chaos  through  sin  after  the 
original  creation  descrioed  in  v.  i.  In  either  case  wc 
have  set  before  us  here  the  d;velopment  of  the  earth 
from  a  chaotic  and  unformfH  condition  into  its  present 
highly  developed  condition  through  the  agency  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  We  see  the  process  carried  still  further 
»n  GcnJLla  "  ^"**  **"^  Lord  God  formed  man  of  the 
dust  of  the  ground,  and  breathed  into  his  nostrils  the 
breath  of  life ;  and  man  became  a  living  soul."  Here 
again  it  is  through  the  agency  of  the  breath  of  God, 


:* 


8o    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

that  a  higher  thing,  human  lifr,  comet  into  being. 
Naturally,  as  the  Bible  is  the  history  of  man's  redemp- 
tion it  does  not  dwell  upon  this  phase  of  truth,  but 
seemingly  each  new  and  higher  imparution  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  brings  forth  a  higher  order  of  being. 
First,  inert  matter }  then  motion }  then  light  i  then  vege- 
Uble  life }  then  animal  life ;  then  man }  and,  as  we  shall 
see  later,  then  the  new  man ;  and  then  Jesus  Christ, 
the  supreme  Man,  the  completion  of  God's  thought  of 
man,  the  Son  of  Man.  This  is  the  Biblical  thought 
of  development  from  the  low;r  a>  the  higher  by  the 
agency  of  the  Spirit  of  God  as  distinguished  from  the 
godless  evolution  that  has  been  so  popular  in  the  gen- 
eration now  closing.  It  is,  however,  only  hinted  at  in 
the  Bible.  The  more  important  phases  of  the  Holy 
Spirit's  work.  His  work  in  redemption,  are  those  that 
are  emphasized  and  iterated  and  reiterated.  The  Word 
of  God  is  even  more  plainly  active  in  eac-:  unte  of 
prioress  of  creation.  God  saiJ  occurs  ten  times  in  the 
first  chapter  of  Genesis. 


V 


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•/, 


VII 

The  Holy  Spirit  Convicting  the  World  of  Sin, 
of  Righteousness  and  of  Judgment 

OUR  salvation  begins  experimentally  with  our 
being  brought  to  a  profound  sense  that  we 
need  a  Saviour.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  the  One 
who  brings  us  to  this  realization  of  our  need.  Wc 
read  in  John  xvi.  8-ik  R.  V.,  "And  He,  when  He  is 
come,  will  convict  the  world  in  respect  of  sin,  and  of 
righteousness,  and  of  judgment:  of  sin,  because  they 
believe  not  on  Me  ;  of  righteousness,  because  I  go  to 
the  Father,  and  ye  behold  Me  no  more;  of  judgment, 
because  the  prince  of  this  world  hath  been  judged." 
\P  We  see  in  this  passage  that  //  is  the  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  convict  men  of  sin.  That  is,  to  so  convince  of 
their  error  in  respect  to  sin  as  to  produce  a  deep  sense 
of  personal  guilt.  We  have  the  first  recorded  fulfill- 
ment of  this  promise  in  Acts  ii.  36,  37, "  Therefore  let 
all  the  house  of  Israel  know  assuredly,  that  God  hath 
made  that  same  Jesus,  whom  ye  have  crucified,  both 
Lord  and  Christ.  Now  when  they  heard  this,  they 
were  pricked  in  their  hearty  and  said  unto  Peter  and  to 
the  rest  of  the  apostles,  Men  and  brethren,  what  shall 
we  do  ?  "  The  Holy  Spirit  had  come  just  as  Jesus  had 
promised  that  He  would  and  when  He  came  He  con- 
victed the  world  of  sin :  He  pricked  them  to  their 
heart  with  a  sense  of  their  awful  guilt  in  the  rejection 

81 


82     The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


t    1    > 


of  their  Lord  and  their  Christ.  If  the  Apostle  Peter 
/had  spoken  the  same  words  the  day  before  Pentecost, 
no  such  results  would  have  followed }  but  now  Peter 
was  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit  (v.  4)  and  the  Holy 
Spirit  took  Peter  and  his  words  and  through  the  instru- 
■tentality  of  Peter  and  his  words  convicted  his  hearers. 
The  Holy  Spirit  is  the  only  One  who  can  convince 
men  of  sin.  The  natural  heart  is  "  deceitful  above  all 
things  and  desperately  wicked,"  and  there  is  nothing  in 
which  the  inbred  deceitfulness  of  our  hearts  comes  out 
more  clearly  than  in  our  estimations  of  ourselves.  We 
are  all  of  us  sharp-sighted  enough  to  the  faults  of  others 
but  we  are  all  blind  by  nature  to  our  own  faults.  Our 
blindness  to  our  own  shortcomings  is  oftentimes  little 
short  of  ludicrous.  We  have  a  strange  power  of  ex- 
aggerating our  imaginary  virtues  and  losing  sight  utterly 
of  our  defects.  The  longer  and  more  thoroughly  one 
studies  human  nature,  the  more  clearly  will  he  see  how 
hopeless  is  the  t;.ik  of  convincing  other  men  of  sin. 
We  cannot  do  it,  nor  has  God  left  it  for  us  to  do.  He 
has  put  this  w.QCk  inte.ths  bgnds  of  One  who  is  abun- 
dantly able  to  do  it,  the  Holy  Spirit.  One  of  the  worst 
mistakes  that  we  can  make  in  our  efForts  to  bring  men 
to  Christ  is  to  try  to  convince  them  of  sin  in  any  power 
of  our  own.  Unfortunately,  it  is  one  of  the  com- 
monest mistakes.  Preachers  will  stand  in  the  pulpit 
and  argue  and  reason  with  men  to  make  them  see  and 
realize  that  they  arc  sinners.  They  make  it  as  plain 
as  day ;  it  is  a  wonder  that  their  hearers  do  not  see  it ; 
but  they  do  not.  Personal  workers  sit  down  beside  an 
inquirer  and  reason  with  him,  and  bring  forward  pas- 


'. 


Convicting  the  World  of  Sin 


93 


taget  of  Scripture  in  a  most  skillful  way,  the  very  pas- 
sages that  are  calculated  to  produce  the  eiFect  desired 
and  yet  there  is  no  result.  Why  ?  Because  we  are 
trying  to  do  the  Holy  Spirit's  work,  the  work  that  He 
alone  can  do,  convince  men  of  sin.  If  we  would  only 
bear  in  mind  our  own  utter  inability  to  convince  men 
of  sin,  and  cast  ourselves  upon  Him  in  utter  helpless- 
ness to  do  the  work,  we  would  see  results. 

At  the  close  of  an  inquiry  meeting  in  our  church  in 
Chicago,  one  of  our  best  workers  brought  to  me  an  en- 
gineer on  the  Pan  Handle  Railway  with  the  remark, 
"  I  wish  that  you  would  speak  to  this  man.  I  have 
been  talking  to  him  two  hours  with  no  result."  I  sat 
down  by  his  side  with  my  open  Bible  and  in  less  than 
ten  minutes  that  man,  under  deep  conviction  of  sin, 
was  on  his  knees  crying  to  God  for  mercy.  The 
worker  who  had  brought  him  to  me  said  when  the  man 
had  gone  out,  "  That  is  very  strange."  "  What  is 
strange?"  I  asked.  "Do  you  know,"  the  worker 
said,  "  I  used  exactly  the  same  passages  in  dealing  with 
that  man  that  you  did,  and  though  I  had  worked  with 
him  for  two  hours  with  no  result,  in  ten  minutes  with 
the  same  passages  of  Scripture,  he  was  brought  under 
conviction  of  sin  and  accepted  Christ."  What  was 
the  explanation  ?  Simply  this,  for  once  that  worker 
had  forgotten  something  that  she  seldom  forgot, 
namely,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  must  do  the  work.  She 
had  been  trying  to  convince  the  man  of  sin.  She  had 
used  the  right  passages  -,  she  had  reasoned  wisely ;  she 
had  made  out  a  clear  case,  but  she  had  not  looked  to 
the  only  One  who  could  do  the  work.     When  she 


m 


84    ThePenonand  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

brought  the  man  to  me  and  said,  **  I  have  worked  with 
him  for  two  hours  with  no  result,"  I  thought  to  myself, 
^  If  this  expert  worker  has  dealt  with  him  for  two 
hours  with  no  result,  what  is  the  use  of  my  dealing 
with  him? "and  in  a  sense  of  utter  helplessness  I 
cast  myself  upon  the  Holy  Spirit  to  do  the  work  and 
He  did  it. 

But  while  we  cannot  convince  men  of  sin,  there  is 
One  who  can,  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  can  convince  the 
most  hardened  and  blinded  man  of  sin.  H'e  can  change 
men  and  women  from  utter  carelessness  and  indiffer- 
ence to  a  place  where  they  are  overwhelmed  with  a 
sense  of  their  need  of  a  Saviour.  How  often  we  have 
seen  this  illustrated.  Some  years  ago,  the  officers  of 
the  Chicago  Avenue  Church  were  burdened  over  the 
fact  that  there  was  so  little  profound  conviction  of  sin 
manifested  in  our  meetings.  There  were  conversions, 
a  good  many  were  being  added  to  the  church,  but  very 
few  were  coming  with  an  apparently  overwhelming 
conviction  of  sin.  One  night  one  of  the  officers  of 
the  church  said,  "  Brethren,  I  am  greatly  troubled  by 
the  fact  that  we  have  so  little  conviction  of  sin  in  our 
meetings.  While  we  are  having  conversions  and  many 
accessions  to  the  church,  there  is  not  that  deep  convic- 
tion of  sin  that  I  like  to  see,  and  I  propose  that  we, 
the  officers  of  :he  church,  meet  from  night  to  night  to 
pray  that  there  may  be  more  conviction  of  sin  in  our 
meetings."  The  suggestion  was  taken  up  by  the  en- 
tire committee.  We  had  not  been  praying  many 
nights  when  one  Sunday  evening  I  saw  in  the  front  seat 
underneath  the  gallery  a  showily  dressed  man  with  a 


ii 


Convicting  the  World  of  Sin 


8y 


veiy  hard  face.  A  large  diamond  was  blazing  from  hit 
shirt  front.  He  was  sitting  beside  one  of  the  deacons. 
As  I  looked  at  him  as  I  preached,  I  thought  to  myself, 
^  That  man  is  a  sporting  man,  and  Deacon  Young  has 
been  fishing  to-day."  It  turned  out  that  I  was  right. 
The  man  was  the  son  of  a  woman  who  kept  a  sporting 
house  in  a  Western  city.  I  think  he  had  never  been  in 
a  Protestant  service  before.  Deacon  Young  had  got 
hold  of  him  that  day  on  the  street  and  brought  him  to 
the  meeting.  As  I  preached  the  man's  eyes  were 
riveted  upon  me.  When  we  went  down-suirs  to  the 
after  meeting,  Deacon  Young  took  the  man  with  him. 
I  was  late  dealing  with  the  anxious  that  night.  As  I 
finished  with  the  last  one  about  eleven  o'clock,  and  almost 
everybody  had  gone  home.  Deacon  Young  came  over 
to  me  and  said,  *^  I  have  a  man  over  here  I  wish  you 
would  come  and  speak  with."  It  was  this  big  sporting 
man.  He  was  deeply  agitated.  "  Oh,"  he  groaned, 
"  I  don't  know  what  is  the  matter  with  me.  I  never 
felt  this  way  before  in  all  my  life,"  and  he  sobbed  and 
shook  like  a  leaf.  Then  he  told  me  this  story :  "  I 
started  out  this  afternoon  to  go  down  to  Cottage  Grove 
Avenue  to  meet  some  men  and  spend  the  afternoon 
gambling.  As  I  passed  by  the  park  over  yonder,  some 
of  your  young  men  were  holding  an  open  air  meeting 
and  I  stopped  to  listen.  I  saw  one  man  testifying 
whom  I  had  known  in  a  life  of  sin,  and  I  waited  to 
hear  what  he  had  to  say.  When  he  finished  I  went  on 
down  the  street.  I  had  not  gone  far  when  some  strange 
power  took  hold  of  me  and  brought  me  back  and  I 
stayed    through    the  meeting.     Then  this  gentleman 


86     The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


\    } 


/    • 


spoke  to  me  and  brought  me  over  to  your  church,  to 
your  Yoke  Fellows'  Meeting.  I  stayed  to  supper  with 
them  and  he  brought  me  up  to  hear^ou  preach,  then 
he  brought  me  down  to  this  meeting."  Here  he 
stopped  and  sobbed,  **  Oh,  I  don't  know  what  is  the 
matter  with  me.  I  feel  awful.  I  never  felt  this  way 
before  in  all  my  life,"  and  his  great  frame  shook  with 
emotion.  "  I  know  what  is  the  matter  with  you,"  I 
said.  "  You  are  under  conviction  of  sin  j  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  dealing  with  you,"  and  I  pointed  him  to 
Christ,  and  he  knelt  down  and  cried  to  God  for 
mercy,  to  forgive  his  sins  for  Christ's  sake. 

Not  long  after,  one  Sunday  night  I  saw  another  man 
sitting  in  the  gallery  almost  exactly  above  where  this 
man  had  sat.  A  diamond  flashed  also  from  this  man's 
shirt  front.  I  said  to  myself,  "There  is  another 
sporting  man."  He  turned  out  to  be  a  travelling  man 
who  was  also  a  sporting  man.  As  I  preached,  he  leaned 
further  and  further  forward  in  his  seat.  In  the  midst  of 
my  sermon,  without  any  intention  of  giving  out  the  in- 
vitation, simply  wishing  to  drive  a  point  home,  I  said, 
"  Who  will  accept  Jesus  Christ  to-night  ? "  Quick  as  a 
flash  the  man  sprang  to  his  feet  and  shouted,  "  I  will." 
It  rang  through  the  building  like  the  crack  of  a  revolver. 
I  dropped  my  sermon  and  instantly  gave  out  the  invita- 
tion ;  men  and  women  and  young  people  rose  all  over 
the  building  to  yield  themselves  to  Christ.  God  was 
answering  prayer  and  the  Holy  Spirit  was  convincing 
men  of  sin.  The  Holy  Spirit  can  convince  men  of 
sin.  We  need  not  despair  of  any  one,  no  matter  how 
indifl^erent  they  may   appear,  no  matter  how  worldly, 


Convicting  the  World  of  Sin 


87 


no  matter  how  •elf-tattsfied,  no  matter  how  irreligious, 
the  Holy  Spirit  can .  convince  men  of  tin.  A  young 
minuter  of  very  rare  culture  and  ability  once  came  to 
nie  and  said,  "  I  have  a  great  problem  on  my  hands. 
I  am  the  pastor  of  the  church  in  a  university  town. 
My  congregration  is  largely  made  up  of  university  pro- 
fessors and  students.  They  are  most  delightful  people. 
They  have  very  high  moral  ideals  and  are  living  most 
exemplary  lives.  Now,"  be  continued, "  if  I  had  a 
congregation  in  which  there  were  drunkards  and  outcasts 
and  thieves,  I  could  convince  them  of  sin,  but  my  prob- 
lem is  how  to  make  people  like  that,  the  most  delight- 
ful people  in  the  world,  believe  that  they  are  sinners, 
how  to  convict  them  of  sin."  I  replied,  "  It  is  impos- 
sible. You  cannot  do  it,  but  the  Holy  Spirit  can." 
And  so-  He  can.  Some  of  the  deepest  manifestations 
of  conviction  of  sin  I  have  ever  seen  have  been  on  the 
part  of  men  and  women  of  most  exemplary  conduct  and 
attractive  personality.  But  they  were  sinners  and  the 
Holy  Spirit  opened  their  eyes  to  the  fact. 

While  it  is  the  Holy  Spirit  who  convinces  men  of 
sin,  He  does  it  through  us.  This  comes  out  very  clearly 
in  the  context  of  the  passage  before  us.  Jesus  says  in 
the  seventh  verse,  R.  V.,  of  the  chapter,  "  Neverthe- 
less I  tell  you  the  truth  ;  It  is  expedient  for  you  that 
I  go  away  :  for  if  I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter  will 
not  come  unto  you ;  but  if  I  go,  I  will  send  Him  unto 
you."  Then  He  goes  on  to  say, "  And  when  He  is  come 
{unto  you)y  He  will  convict  the  world  of  sin."  That 
is,  our  Lord  Jesus  sends  the  Holy  Spirit  unto  us  (unto 
believers),  and   when    He  is  come  unto  us  believers. 


:•  t 


88    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit ' 

through  us  to  whom  He  has  come.  He  convinces  the 
world.  On  the  Day  of  Pentecost,  it  wu  the  Holjr 
Spirit  who  convinced  the  3,000  of  sin,  but  the  Holy 
Spirit  came  to  the  group  of  believers  and  through  them 
convinced  the  outside  world.  As  far  as  the  Holy 
Scriptures  definitely  tell  us,  the  Holy  Spirit  has  no  way 
of  getting  at  the  unsaved  world  except  through  the 
agency  of  those  who  are  already  saved.  Every  conver- 
sion recorded  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  was  through 
the  agency  of  men  or  women  already  saved.  Take, 
for  example,  the  conversion  of  Saul  of  Taraus.  If 
there  ever  was  a  miraculous  conversion,  it  was  that. 
The  glorified  Jesus  appeared  visibly  to  Saul  on  his  way 
to  Damascus,  but  before  Saul  could  come  out  clearly 
into  the  light  as  a  saved  man,  human  instrumentality 
must  hf  brought  in.  Saul  prostrate  on  the  ground  cried 
to  the  risen  Christ  asking  what  he  must  do,  and  the 
Lord  told  him  to  go  into  Damascus  and  there  it  would 
be  told  him  what  he  must  do.  And  then  Ananias,  **  a 
certain  disciple,"  was  brought  on  the  scene  as  the 
human  instrumentality  through  whom  the  Holy  Spirit 
should  do  His  work  (cf.  Acts  ix.  17;  xxii.  16). 
Take  the  case  pf  CQrpi;|iij«.  Here  again  was  a  most 
remarkable  conversion  through  supernatural  agency. 
**  jfn  angel "  appeared  to  Cornelius,  but  the  angel  did  not 
tell  Cornelius  what  to  do  to  be  saved.  The  angel  rather 
said  to  Cornelius,  "  Send  men  to  Joppa,  and  call /or 
Simon^  whose  surname  is  Peter,  who  shall  tell  thee 
words  whereby  thou  and  all  thy  house  shall  be  saved " 
(Acts  xi.  13,  14).  So  we  may  go  right  through  the 
record  of  the  conversions  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles 


■,'~i 


Convicting  the  World  of  Sin  89 

and  w*  will  tee  they  were  all  effected  through  human 
intcrumcntality.  How  solemn,  how  almost  over- 
whelming, it  the  thought  that  the  Holy  Spirit  has  no 
way  of  getting  at  the  unsaved  with  His  saving  power 
except  through  the  instrumentality  of  ua  who  ate  already 
Qui^lAPt'  If  we  realized  that,  would  we  not  be  more 
careful  to  offer  to  the  Holy  Spirit  a  more  free  and 
unobstructed  channel  for  His  all-imporunt  work? 
"Die  Holy  Spirit  needs  human  lips  to  speak  through. 
He  needs  yours,  and  He  needs  lives  so  clean  and  so 
utterly  surrendered  to  Him  that  He  can  work  through 

Notice  of  which  sin  it  is  that  the  Holy  Spirit  con- 
vinces men— the  sin  of  unbelief  in  Jesus  Christ,  **  Of 
sin  because  they  believe  not  on  Me,"  says  Jesus.  Not 
the  sin  of  stealing,  not  the  sin  of  drunkenness,  not  the 
sin  of  adultery,  not  the  sin  of  murder,  but  the  sin  of 
unbelief  in  Jesus  Christ.  The  one  thing  that  the 
eternal  God  demands  of  men  is  that  they  believe  on 
Him  whom  He  hath  sent  (John  vt.  29).  And  the  one 
sin  that  reveals  men's  rebellion  against  God  and  daring 
defiance  of  Him  is  the  sin  of  not  believing  on  Jesu9 
Christ,  and  this  is  the  one  sin  that  the  Holy  Spirit  puts 
to  the  front  and  emphasizes  and  of  which  He  convicts 
men.  This  was  the  sin  of  which  He  convicted  the 
3,000  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost.  Doubtless,  there  were 
many  other  sins  in  their  lives,  but  the  one  point  that 
the  Holy  Spirit  brought  to  the  front  through  the 
Apostle  Peter  was  that  the  One  whom  they  had  re- 
jected was  their  Lord  and  Christ,  attested  so  to  be  by 
His  resurrection  from  the  dead  (Acts  ii.  22-36).    "  And 


MICROCOPY   RISOIUTION  TBT  CHART 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2) 


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as  (716)  288- 5989  -  Fax 


90    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


K    r 


when  they  heard  this  (namely,  that  He  whom  they  had 
rejected  was  Lord  and  Chr.st)  they  were  pricked  in 
their  hearts."  This  is  the  sin  of  which  the  Holy  Spirit 
convinces  men  to-day.  In  regard  to  the  comparatively 
minor  moralities  of  life,  there  is  a  wide  difference 
among  men,  but  the  thief  who  rejects  Christ  and  the 
honest  man  who  rejects  Christ  are  alike  condemned  at 
the  great  point  of  what  they  do  with  God's  Son,  and 
this  is  the  point  that  the  Holy  Spirit  presses  home. 
T'l^^in  of  unbelief  is  the  most  difficult  of  all  sins  of 
which  to  convmce  men.  The  average  unbeliever  does 
not  look  upon  unbelief  as  a  sin.  Many  an  unbeliever 
looks  upon  his  unbelief  as  a  mark  of  intellectual  su- 
periority. Not  unfrequently,  he  is  all  the  more  proud 
of  it  because  it  is  the  only  mark  of  intellectual  supe- 
riority that  he  possesses.  He  tosses  his  head  and  says, 
"  I  am  an  agnostic ;  "  "  I  am  a  skeptic ;  "  or,  "  I  am 
an  infidel,"  and  assumes  an  air  of  superiority  on  that 
account.  If  he  does  not  go  so  far  as  that,  the  unbe- 
liever frequently  looks  upon  his  unbelief  as,  at  the  very 
worst,  a  misfortune.  He  looks  for  pity  rather  than  for 
blame.  He  says,  "  Oh,  I  wish  I  could  believe.  I  am 
so  sorry  I  cannot  believe,"  and  then  appeals  to  us  for 
pity  because  he  cannot  believe,  but  when  the  Holy 
Spirit  touches  a  man's  heart,  he  no  longer  looks  upon 
unbelief  as  a  mark  of  intellectual  superiority ;  he  does 
not  look  upon  it  as  a  mere  misfortune ;  he  sees  it  as 
the  most  daring,  decisive  and  damning  of  all  sins  and 
is  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of  his  awful  guilt  in  that 
he  had  not  believed  on  the  name  of  the  only  begotten 
Son  of  God. 


Convicting  the  World  of  Sin  91 

Qp    But  the  Holy  Spirit  not  only  convicts  of  sin, 
Hi  conviffi^iiLrjii^tU  of.  rigbuamueu. 

He  convicts  the  world  in  respect  of  righteousness 
because  Jesus  Christ  has  gone  to  the  Father,  that  is  He 
convicts  (convinces  with  a  convincing  that  is  self-con- 
demning) the  World  of  Christ's  righteousness  attested 
by  His  going  to  the  Father.  The  coming  of  the  Spirit 
is  in  itself  a  proof  that  Christ  has  gone  to  the  Father 
(of.  Acts  ii.  33)  and  the  Holy  Spirit  thus  opens  our 
eyes  to  see  that  Jesus  Christ,  whom  the  world  con- 
demned as  an  evil-doer,  was  indeed  the  righteous  One. 
The  Father  sets  the  stnnr.p  of  His  approval  upon  His 
character  and  claims  by  raising  Him  from  the  dead  and 
exalting  Him  to  His  own  right  hand  and  giving  to  Him 
a  name  that  is  above  every  name.  The  world  at  large 
to-day  claims  to  believe  in  the  righteousness  of  Christ 
but  it  does  not  really  believe  in  the  righteousness  of 
Christ :  it  has  no  adequate  conception  of  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ.  The  righteousness  which  the  world 
attributes  to  Christ  is  not  the  righteousness  which  God 
attributes  to  Him,  but  a  poor  human  righteousness,  per- 
haps a  little  better  than  our  own.  The  world  loves  to 
put  the  names  of  other  men  that  it  considers  good 
alongside  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  But  when  the 
Spirit  of  God  comes  to  a  man.  He  convinces  him  of 
the  righteousness  of  Christ ;  He  opens  his  eyes  to  see 
Jesus  Christ  standing  absolutely  alone,  not  only  far 
above  all  men  but  '*  far  above  all  principality  and 
power  and  might  and  dominion,  and  every  name  that 
is  named,  not  only  in  this  world  but  also  in  that  which 
is  to  come  "  (Eph.  i.  21). 


■1 


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If 


92     The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

(0|.     Tht  Holy  Spirit  also  convicts  the  worUjfJit4g~ 
ment. 

The  ground  upon  which  the  Holy  Spirit  convinces 
men  of  judgment  is  upon  the  ground  of  the  fact  that 
^  the  Prince  of  this  worid  hath  been  judged  "  (John 
xvi.  1 1).  When  Jesus  Christ  was  nailed  to  the  cross, 
it  seemed  as  if  He  were  judged  there,  but  in  reality  it 
was  the  Prince  of  this  world  who  was  judged  at  the 
cross,  and,  by  raising  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead,  the 
Father  made  it  plain  to  all  coming  ages  that  the  cross 
was  not  the  judgment  of  Christ,  but  the  judgment  of 
the  Prince  of  darkness.  The  Holy  Spirit  opens  our 
eyes  to  see  this  fact  and  so  convinces  us  of  judgment. 
There  is  a  great  need  to-day  that  the  world  be  con- 
vinced of  judgment.  Judgment  is  a  doctrine  that  has 
fallen  into  the  background,  that  has  indeed  almost 
sunken  out  of  sight.  It  is  not  popular  to-day  to  speak 
5boutJudgmentj_pr  retribution,  or  hell.  One  who  em- 
phasizes judgment  and  future  retribution  is  not  thought 
to  be  quite  up  to  date  ;  he  is  considered  "  medieval  " 
or  even  "  archaic,"  but  when  the  Holy  Spirit  opens  the 
eyes  of  men,  they  believe  in  judgment.  In  the  early 
days  of  my  Christian  experience,  I  had  great  difficulties 
with  the  Bible  doctrine  of  future  retribution.  I  came 
again  and  again  up  to  what  it  taught  about  the  eternal 
penalties  of  persistent  sin.  It  seemed  as  if  I  could  not 
believe  it :  it  must  not  be  true.  Time  and  again  I 
would  back  away  from  the  stern  teachings  of  Jesus 
Christ  and  the  Apostles  concerning  this  matter.  But 
one  night  I  was  waiting  upon  God  that  I  might  know 
the  Holy  Spirit  in  a  fuller  manifestation  of  His  presence 


Convicting  the  World  of  Sin 


93 


and  His  power.  God  gave  me  what  I  sought  that 
night  and  with  this  larger  experience  of  the  Holy 
Spirit's  presence  and  power,  there  came  such  a  revela- 
tion of  the  glory,  the  infinite  glory  of  Jesus  Christ, 
that  I  had  no  longer  any  difficulties  with  what  the 
Book  said  about  the  stern  and  endless  judgment  that 
would  be  visited  upon  those  who  persistently  rejected 
this  glorious  Son  of  God.  From  that  day  to  this,  while 
I  have  had  many  a  heartache  over  the  Bible  doctrine  of 
future  retribution,  I  have  had  no  intellectual  difficulty 
with  it.  I  have  believed  it.  The  Holy  Spirit  has  con- 
vinced me  of  judgment. 


6-^. -A  )(^.  <..'  V  ';■ 


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The  Holy  Spirit  Bearing  Witness  to  Jesus  Christ 

WHEN  our  Lord  was  talking  to  His  disciples 
on  the  night  before  His  crucifixion  of  the 
Comforter  who  after  His  departure  was  to 
come  to  take  His  place.  He  said,  "  But  when  the  Com- 
forter is  come,  whom  I  will  send  unto  you  from  the 
Father,  even  the  Spirit  of  truth,  which  proceedeth  from 
the  Father,  He  shall  bear  witness  of  Me :  and  ye  also 
bear  witness,  because  ye  have  been  with  Me  from  the 
beginning  "  (Tohn  xv.  26,  27,  R.  VQ,  and  the  Apostle 
Peter  and  the  other  disciples  when  they  were  ,  .rictly 
commanded  by  the  Jewish  Council  not  to  teach  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  said,  "  We_are.  witnesses  of  these  things, 
and  so  is  also  the  Holy  Ghost "  (Acts  v.  22).     It  is  dear 
from  these  words  of  Jesus  Christ  and  the  Apostles  that 
it  is  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  bear  witness  con- 
cerning Jesus  Christ.     We  find  the  Holy  Spirit's  testi- 
mony to  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Scriptures,  but  beside  this 
the  Holy  Spirit  bears  witness  directly  to  the  individual 
heart  concerning  Jesus  Christ.    He  takes  His  own  Scrip- 
tures and   interprets  them  to  us  and  makes  them  clear 
to  us.     All  truth  is  from  the  Spirit,  for  He  is "  the 
Spirit  of  truth,"  but  it  is  especially  His  work  to  bear 
witness  to  Him  who  is  the  truth,  that  is  Jesus  Christ 
(John  xiv.  6).     It  is  only  through  the  testimony  of  the 

94 


Bearing  Witness  to  Jesus  Christ         95 

Holy  Spirit  directly  to  our  heans  that  we  ever  come  to 
a  true,  living  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ  (cf.  1  Cor. 
xii.  3).  No  amount  of  mere  reading  the  written  Word 
(in  the  Bible)  anu  no  amount  of  listening  to  man's 
testimony  will  ever  bring  us  to  a  living  knowledge  of 
Christ.  It  is  only  when  the  Holy  Spirit  Himself  takes 
the  written  Word,  or  takes  the  testimony  of  our  fellow 
man,  and  interprets  it  directly  to  our  hearts  that  we 
really  come  to  see  and  know  Jesus  as  He  is.  On  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  Peter  gave  all  his  hearers  the  testi- 
mony of  the  Scriptures  regarding  Christ  and  also  gave 
them  his  own  testimony  ;  he  told  them  what  he  and  the 
other  Apostles  knew  by  personal  observation  regarding 
His  resurrection,  but  unless  the  Holy  Spirit  Himself 
had  taken  the  Scriptures  which  Peter  had  brought  to- 
gether and  taken  the  testimony  of  Peter  and  the  other 
disciples,  the  3,000  would  not  on  that  day  have  seen 
Jesus  as  He  really  was  and  received  Him  and  been 
baptized  in  His  name.  The  Holy  Spirit  added  His 
testimony  to  that  of  Peter  and  that  of  the  written  Word, 
[r.  Moody  used  to  say  in  his  terse  and  graphic  way 
that  when  Peter  said,  »*  Therefore  let  all  the  house  of 
Israel  know  assuredly  that  God  hath  made  that  same 
Jesus,  whom  ye  have  crucified,  both  Lord  and  Christ 
(Acts  ii.  36),  the  Holy  Spirit  said, » Amen '  and  the 
people  saw  and  believed."  And  it  is  certain  that  unless 
the  Holy  Spirit  had  come  that  day  and  through  Peter 
and  the  other  Apostles  borne  His  direct  testimony  to  the 
hearts  of  their  hearers,  there  would  have  been  no  saving 
vision  of  Jesus  on  the  part  of  the  people.  If  you  wish 
men  to  get  a  true  view  of  Jesus  Christ,  such  a  view  of 


96    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

Him  that  they  may  believe  and  be  saved,  it  it  not 
enough  that  you  give  them  the  Scriptures  concerning 
Him }  it  is  not  enough  that  you  give  them  your  own 
testimony,  you  must  seek  for  them  the  testimony  of  the 
Holy  Spirit~and  put  yourself  into  such  relations  with 
God  that  the  Holy  Spirit  may  bear  His  testimony 
through juuk  Neither  your  testimony,  nor  even  that 
of  the  written  Word  alone  will  effect  this,  though  it  is 
your  testimony,  or  that  of  the  Word  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  uses.  But  unless  your  testimony  and  that  of  the 
Word  is  taken  up  by  the  Holy  Spirit  and  He  Himself 
testifies,  they  will  not  believe.  This  explains  some- 
thing which  every  experienced  worker  must  have 
noticed.  We  sit  down  beside  an  inquirer  and  open  our 
Bibles  and  give  him  those  Scriptures  which  clearly 
reveal  Jesus  as  his  atoning  Saviour  on  the  cross,  a 
Saviour  from  the  guilt  of  sin,  and  as  his  risen  Saviour, 
a  Saviour  from  the  power  of  sin.  It  is  just  the  truth 
the  man  needs  to  see  and  believe  in  order  to  be  saved, 
but  he  does  not  see  it.  We  go  over  these  Scriptures 
which  to  us  are  as  plain  as  day  again  and  again,  and 
the  inquirer  sits  there  in  blank  darkness;  he  sees 
nothing,  he  grasps  nothing.  Sometimes  we  almost 
wonder  if  the  inquirer  is  stupid  that  he  cannot  see  it. 
No,  he  is  not  stupid,  except  with  that  spiritual  blindness 
that  possesses  every  mind  unenlightened  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  (i  Cor.  ii.  14).  We  go  over  it  again  and  still 
he  does  not  see  it.  We  go  over  it  again  and  his  face 
lightens  up  and  he  exclaims,  "  I  see  it.  I  see  it,"  and 
he  sees  Jesus  and  believes  and  is  saved  and  knows  he  is 
saved  there  on  the  spot.     What  has  happened  ?     Simply 


Bearing  Witness  to  Jesus  Christ         97 

this,  the  Holy  Spirit  has  borne  (lit  testimony  and  what 
was  dark  as  midnight  before  is  as  clear  as  day  now. 
This  explains  also  why  it  is  that  one  who  has  been 
long  in  darkness  concerning  Jesus  Christ  so  quickly 
comes  to  see  the  truth  when  he  surrenders  his  will  to 
God  and  seeks  light  from  Him.  When  he  surrenders 
his  will  to  God,  he  has  put  himself  into  that  attitude 
towards  God  where  the  Holy  Spirit  can  do  His  work 
(Acts  V.  32).  Jesus  says  in  Tohn  vii.  I7«R.  V.,  **  If 
any  man  willeth  to  do  His  will,  he  shall  know  of  the 
teaching,  whether  it  be  of  God,  or  whether  I  speak  from 
Myself."  When  a  man  wills  to  do  the  will  of  God, 
then  the  conditions  are  provided  on  which  the  Holy 
Spirit  works  and  He  illuminates  the  mind  to  see  the 
truth  about  Jesus  and  to  see  that  His  teaching  is  the 
very  Word  of  God.  John  writes  in  John  xx.  31, 
**  But  these  are  written  (these  things  in  die  GospeToT 
John)  that  ye  might  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God ;  and  that  believing  ye  might  have  life 
through  His  name."  John  wrote  his  Gospel  for  this 
purpose,  that  men  might  see  Jesus  as  the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  God,  through  what  he  records,  and  that  they 
might  believe  that  He  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God, 
and  that  thus  believing  they  might  have  life  through 
His  name.  The  best  book  in  the  world  to  put  into 
the  hands  of  one  who  desires  to  know  about  Jesus  and 
to  be  saved  is  the  Gospel  of  John.  And  yet  many  a 
man  has  read  the  Gospel  of  John  over  and  over  and 
over  again  and  not  seen  and  believed  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God.  But  let  the  same  man  sur- 
render his  will  absolutely  to  God  and  ask  God  for  light 


"'  Hi' 

•111 


;! 


i       .« 


\J 


98    The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

as  he  reads  the  Gospel  and  promise  God  that  he  will 
take  his  stand  on  everything  in  the  Gospel  that  He 
shows  him  to  be  true  and  before  the  man  has  finished 
the  Gospel  he  will  see  clearly  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God,  and  will  believe  and  have  eternal 
life.  Why?  Because  he  has  put  himself  into  the 
place  where  the  Holy  Spirit  can  take  the  things  written 
in  the  Gospel  and  interpret  them  and  bear  His  testi- 
mony. I  have  seen  this  tested  and  provea  time  and 
time  again  all  around  the  world.  Men  have  come 
to  me  and  said  to  me  that  they  did  not  believe  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  and  many  have 
gone  farther  and  said  they  were  agnostics  and  did 
not  even  know  whether  there  was  a  personal  God. 
Then  I  have  told  them  to  read  the  Gospel  of  John, 
that  in  that  Gospel  John  presented  the  evidence 
that  Jesus  was  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God.  Often- 
times they  have  told  me  they  have  read  it  over  and  over 
again,  and  yet  were  not  convinced  that  Jesus  was  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God.  Then  I  have  said  to  them, 
**  You  have  not  read  it  the  right  way,"  and  I  have  got 
them  to  surrender  their  will  to  God  (or  in  case  where  they 
were  not  sure  there  was  a  God,  have  got  them  to  take 
their  stand  upon  the  right  to  follow  it  wherever  it 
might  carry  them).  Then  I  have  had  them  agree  to 
read  the  Gospel  of  John  slowly  and  thoughtfully,  and 
each  time  before  they  read  to  look  up  to  God,  if  there 
were  any  God,  to  help  them  to  understand  what  they 
were  to  read  and  to  promise  Him  that  they  would  take 
their  stand  upon  whatever  He  showed  them  to  be  true, 
and  follow  it  wherever  it  would  carry  them.     And  in 


Bearing  Witness  to  Jesus  Christ         99 


every  instance  before  they  had  finished  the  Gospel  they 
had  come  to  see  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ,  the  Son  of 
God,  and  have  believed  and  been  saved.  They  had 
put  themselves  in  that  position  where  the  Holy  Spirit 
could  bear  His  testimony  to  Jesus  Christ  and  He  had 
done  it  and  through  His  testimony  they  saw  and  be- 
lieved. 

If  you  wish  men  to  see  the  truth  about  Christ,  do 
not  depend  upon  your  own  powers  of  expression  and 
persuasion,  but  cast  yourself  upon  the  Holy  Spirit  and 
seek  for  them  His  testimony  and  see  to  it  that  they  put 
themselves  in  the  place  where  the  Holy  Spirit  can 
testify.  This  is  the  cure  for  both  skepticism  and  ig- 
norance concerning  Christ.  If  you  yourself  are  not 
clear  concerning  the  truth  about  Jesus  Christ,  seek  for 
yourself  the  testimony  of  the  Holy  Si  .rit  regarding 
Christ.  Read  the  Scriptures,  read  especially  the  Gos- 
pel of  John  but  do  not  depend  upon  the  mere  reading 
of  the  Word,  but  before  you  read  it,  put  yourself  in 
such  an  attitude  towards  God  by  the  absolute  surrender 
of  your  will  to  Him  that  the  Holy  Spirit  may  bear  Hit 
testimony  in  your  heart  concerning  Jesus  Christ.  What 
we  all  most  need  is  a  clear  and  full  vision  of  Jesu» 
Christ  and  this  comes  through  the  testimony  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  One  night  a  number  of  our  students 
came  back  from  the  Pacific  Garden  Mission  in  Chicago 
and  said  to  me,  *^  We  had  a  wonderful  meeting  at  the 
mission  to-night.  There  were  many  drunkards  and 
outcasts  at  the  front  who  accepted  Christ."  The  next 
day  I  met  Mr.  Harry  Monroe,  the  superintendent  of 
the  omission,  on  the  street,  and  I  said,  "  Harry,  the  boys 


kll 

III 
1, 


M 


I  II  ' 


If 


i,i' 


iu 


00  The  Penon  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

uy  you  had  •  wonderful  meeting  at  the  miition  hnt 
night."  **  Would  you  like  to  know  how  it  came 
•bout  r*  he  replied.  "Yei."  "Well,"  he  ttid,"I 
•imply  held  up  Jetus  Chriit  and  it  pleased  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  illumine  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  men 
nw  and  believed."  It  was  a  unique  way  of  putting  it 
but  it  was  an  expressive  way  and  true  to  the  essential 
facts  in  the  case.  It  is  our  part  to  hold  up  Jesus 
Christ,  and  then  look  to  the  Holy  Spirit  to  illumine 
His  face  or  to  uke  the  truth  about  Him  and  make  it 
clear  to  the  hearts  of  our  hearers  and  He  will  do  it  and 
men  will  see  and  believe.  Of  course,  we  need  to  be 
so  walking  towards  God  that  the  Holy  Spirit  may  uke 
us  as  the  instruments  through  T<^hom  fie  will  beiu:  His 
testimony. 


7  f 


)'- 


y 


,>»  / 


6^- 

The  Regenerating  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

THE  Apostle  Paul  in  Titui  Ui.j,  R.  V.,  writei, 
**  Not  by  works  done  in  righteousness,  which 
we  did  ourselves,  but  according  to  His  mercy 
Ke  saved  us,  through  the  washing  of  regeneration  and 
rmtwing  rf  tbt  H0fy  Gbttt."  In  these  words  we  are 
taught  that  tbt  Htfy  Spirit  rtntws  mtn^jcjagiiLitin 
MW^VUi  thk^  through  this  renewing  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
we  are  saved.  Jesus  uught  the  same  in  John  iii.  3-5, 
M  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him.  Verily,  verily,  I 
say  unto  thee.  Except  a  man  be  bom  again,  he  cannot 
see  the  kingdom  of  God.  Nicodemus  saith  unto  Him, 
How  can  a  man  be  bom  when  he  is  old  ?  Can  he  en- 
ter the  second  time  into  his  mother's  womb  and  be 
born  f  Jesus  answered.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee. 
Except  a  man  be  bora  of  water  and  »f  tbt  Spirit^  he 
cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God." 

What  is  regeneration  ?  Regtntration  is  tbt  imparta' 
tioH  tfliftt  spiritual  lifiy  tt  thtst  who  art  dtad^  spiritually 
titadj  tbreugh  thtir  trtspassts  and  sins  (Eph.  ii.  I,  R.  V.). 
It  is  the  Holy  Spirit  who  imparts  this  life.  It  is  true 
that  the  written  Word  is  the  instrument  which  the 
Holy  Spirit  uses  in  regeneration.  We  read  in  jL.fct. 
i.  23,  '*  Being  born  again,  not  of  corruptible  seed,  but 
of  Incorruptible,   by  tbt  Word  of  God,  which  liveth  and 

lOI 


m» 


m 


e!llil:li 


!;!i 


n 


102   The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

abideth  forever."  We  read  in  Tames  i.  i8.  "  Of  His 
own  will  begat  He  us  with  the  fVord  of  truths  that  we 
should  be  a  kind  of  first  fruits  of  His  creatures." 
These  passages  make  it  plain  that  the  Word  is  the  in- 
strument used  in  regeneration,  but  it  is  only  as  the 
Holy  Spirit  uses  the  instrument  that  the  new  birth  re- 
sults.    "  It  is  the  Spirit  that  giveth  life  "  (Johnju»^3, 

we  are  told  that  ^*  the  let- 


A.  R.  v.). 

tcr  killeth,  but  the  Spirit  giveth  life."  *  This  is  some- 
times interpreted  to  mean  that  the  literal  interpretation 
of  Scripture,  the  interpretation  that  takes  it  in  its  strict 
grammatical  sense  and  makes  it  mean  what  it  says, 
kills  i  but  that  some  spiritual  interpretation,  an  interpre- 
tation that  "  gives  the  spirit  of  the  passage,"  by  making 
it  mean  something  it  does  not  say,  gives  life ;  and  those 
who  insist  upon  Scripture  meaning  exactly  what  it 
says  are  called  "  deadly  literalists."  This  is  a  favourite 
perversion  of  Scripture  with  those  who  do  not  like  to 
take  the  Bible  as  meaning  just  what  it  says  and  who 
find  themselves  driven  into  a  corner  and  are  looking 
about  for  some  convenient  way  of  escape.  If  one  will 
read  the  words  in  their  context,  he  will  see  that  this 
thought  was  utterly  foreign  to  the  mind  of  Paul.  In- 
deed, one  who  will  carefully  study  the  epistles  of  Paul 
will  find  that  he  himself  was  a  literalist  of  the  literalists. 
If  literalism  is  deadly,  then  the  teachings  of  Paul  are 


•  Both  the  translators  of  the  Authorized  Version  and  the  Revised 
Version,  and  even  the  translators  of  the  American  Revision,  seem  to 
have  lost  sight  of  the  context,  for  while  they  spell  "  Spirit "  in  the 
third  verse  with  a  capital,  in  the  sixth  verse,  in  all  three  versions  it 
is  spelled  with  a  small  "  s." 


Regenerating  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit     103 

among  the  most  deadly  ever  written.  Paul  will  build 
an  argument  upon  the  turn  of  a  word,  upon  a  number 
or  a  tense.  What  does  the  passage  mean  ?  The  way 
to  find  out  what  any  passage  means  is  to  study  in  their 
context  the  words  used.  Paul  is  drawing  a  contrast 
between  the  Word  of  God  outside  of  us,  written  with 
ink  upon  parchment  or  graven  on  tables  of  stone,  and 
the  Word  of  God  written  within  us  in  tables  that  are 
hearts  of  flesh  with  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God  (v.  3) 
and  he  tells  us  that  if  we  merely  have  the  Word  of 
God  outside  us  in  a  Book  or  on  parchment  or  on  tables 
of  stone,  that  it  will  kill  us,  that  it  will  only  bring  con- 
demnation and  death,  but  that  if  we  have  the  Word  of 
God  made  a  living  thing  in  our  hearts,  written  upon 
our  hearts  by  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God,  that  it  will 
bring  us  life.'  No  number  of  Bibles  upon  our  tables  or 
in  our  libraries  will  save  us,  but  the  truth  of  the.  Bible 
written  by  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God  in  our  hearts 
will  save  us. 

To  put  the  matter  of  regeneration  in  another  way ; 
rtgeneration  is  the  impartation  of  a  new  nature^  GotTs  own 
nature  to  the  one  who  is  born  again  (2  Pet,  i.  A^.  Every 
human  being  is  born  into  this  world  with  a  perverted 
nature ;  his  whole  intellectual,  aiFectional  and  volitional 
nature  perverted  by  sin.     No  matter  how  excellent  our 


•The  ministry  of  many  an  orthodox  preacher  and  teacher  is  a 
ministry  of  death.  It  is  true  that  the  Word  of  the  Gospel  is  preached 
but  it  is  preached  with  enticing  words  of  man's  wisdom  and  not  in 
the  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of  power  (i  Cor.  ii.  4).  The 
Gospel  comes  in  word  only  and  not  in  power  and  in  the  Holy  Spirit 
(I  Thess.  i.  5). 


104  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


human  ancestry,  we  come  into  this  world  with  a  mind 
that  is  blind  to  the  truth  of  God.  (**  The  natural  man 
re.eiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God  :  for  they 
are  foolishness  unto  him :  neither  can  he  know  them, 
because  they  are  spiritually  discerned."  i  Cor.  ii.  14.) 
With  affections  that  are  alienated  from  God,  loving  the 
things  that  we  ought  to  hate  and  hating  the  things  that 
we  ought  to  love.  (**  Now  the  works  of  the  flesh  are 
manifest,  which  are  these )  Adultery,  fornication,  un- 
cleanness,  lasciviousness,  idolatry,  witchcraft,  hatred, 
variance,  emulations,  wrath,  strife,  seditions,  heresies, 
envyings,  murders,  drunkenness,  revellings,  and  such 
like."  Gal.  v.  19,  20,  21.)  With  a  will  that  is  per- 
verted, set  upon  pleasing  itself,  rather  than  pleasing 
God.  (^^  Because  the  mind  of  the  flesh  is  enmity 
against  God ;  for  it  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God, 
neither  indeed  can  it  be."  Rom.  viii.  7,  R.  V.)  In 
the  new  birth  a  new  intellectual,  aiFectional  and  voli- 
tional nature  is  imparted  to  us.  We  receive  the  mind 
that  sees  as  God  sees,  thinks  God's  thoughts  after 
Him  (i  Cor.  ii.  12-14);  affections  in  harmony  with 
the  affections  of  God.  ("  The  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love, 
joy,  peace,  long-suflFering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith, 
meekness,  temperance :  against  such  there  is  no  law." 
Gal.  V.  22,  23) }  a  will  that  is  in  harmony  with  the 
will  of  God,  that  delights  to  do  the  things  that  please 
Him.  (Like  Jesus  we  say,  *^  My  meat  is  to  do  the 
will  of  Him  that  sent  Me,  and  to  finish  His  work." 
John  iv.  34;  cf.  John  vi.  38  ;  Gal.  i.  10.)  It  is  the 
Holy  Spirit  who  creates  in  us  this  new  nature,  or  im- 
parts this  new  nature  to  us.     r^o  amount  of  preaching. 


Regenerating  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit     105 


no  matter  how  orthodox  it  may  be,  no  amount  of  mere 
study  of  the  Word  will  regenerate  unless  the  Holy 
Spirit  works.  It  is  He  and  He  alone  who  makes  a 
man  a  new  creature. 

The  new  birth  is  compared  in  the  Bible  to  growth 
from  a  seed.  The  human  heart  is  the  soil,  the  Word 
of  God  is  the  seed  (Luke  viii.  1 1  }  cf.  i  Pet.  i.  23 ; 
Jas.  i.  18 }  I  Cor.  iv.  15),  every  preacher  or  teacher  of 
the  Word  is  a  sower,  but  the  Spirit  of  God  is  the  One 
who  quickens  the  seed  that  is  thus  sown  and  the  Di- 
vine nature  springs  up  as  the  result.  There  is  abun- 
dant soil  everywhere  in  which  to  sow  the  seed,  in  the 
human  hearts  that  are  around  about  us  upon  every 
hand.  There  is  abundant  seed  to  be  sown,  any  of  us 
can  find  it  in  the  granary  of  God's  Word ;  and  there  are 
to-day  many  sowers :  but  there  may  be  soil  and  seed 
and  sowers,  but  unless  as  we  sow  the  seed,  the  Spirit 
of  God  quickens  it  and  the  heart  of  the  hearer  closes 
around  it  by  faith,  there  will  be  no  harvest.  Every 
sower  needs  to  see  to  it  that  he  realizes  his  dependence 
upon  the  Holy  Spirit  to  quicken  the  seed  he  sows  and 
he  needs  to  sec  to  it  also  that  he  is  in  such  relation  to 
God  that  the  Holy  Spirit  may  work  through  him  and 
quicken  the  seed  he  sows. 

The  Holy  Spirit  does  regenerate  men.  He  has 
power  to  raise  the  dead.  He  has  power  to  impart  life 
to  those  who  are  morally  both  dead  and  putrefying. 
He  has  power  to  impart  an  entirely  new  nature  to  those 
whose  nature  now  is  so  corrupt  that  to  men  they  ap- 
pear to  be  beyond  hope.  How  often  I  have  seen  it 
proven.     How  often  I  have  seen  men  and  women  ut- 


i 


106  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

terly  lost  and  ruined  and  vile  come  into  a  meeting 
scarcely  knowing  why  they  came,  and  as  they  have  sat 
there  the  Word  was  spoken,  the  Spirit  of  God  has 
quicker''d  the  Word  thus  sown  in  their  hearts  and  in  a 
moment  th  t  man  or  woman,  by  the  mighty  power  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  has  become  a  new  creation.  I  know  a 
man  who  seemed  as  completely  abandoned  and  hopeless 
as  men  ever  become.  He  was  about  forty-five  years 
of  age.  He  had  gone  off  in  evil  courses  in  early  boy- 
hood. He  had  run  away  from  home,  had  joined  the 
navy  and  afterwards  the  army,  and  learned  all  the  vices 
of  both.  He  had  been  dishonourably  discharged  from 
(he  army  because  of  his  extreme  dissipation  and  dis- 
orderliness.  He  had  found  his  companionships  among 
the  lowest  of  the  low  and  the  vilest  of  the  vile.  When 
he  would  go  up  the  street  of  a  Western  town  at  night, 
and  merchants  would  hear  his  yell,  they  would  close 
their  doors  in  fear.  But  this  man  went  one  night  into 
a  revival  meeting  in  a  country  church  out  of  curiosity. 
He  made  sport  of  the  meeting  that  night  with  a  boon 
companion  who  sat  by  his  side,  but  he  went  again  the 
next  night.  The  Spirit  of  God  touched  his  heart.  He 
went  forward  and  bowed  at  the  altar.  He  arose  a  new 
creation.  He  was  transformed  into  one  of  the  noblest, 
truest,  purest,  most  unselfish,  most  gentle  and  most 
Christlike  men  I  have  ever  known.  I  am  sometimes 
asked,  "  Do  you  believe  in  sudden  conversion  ?  "  I 
believe  in  something  far  more  wonderful  than  srdden 
conversion,  tjbelieye  in  sudden  regeneration.  Con- 
version is  merely  an  outward  thing,  the  turning  around. 
Regeneration  goes  down  to  the  deepest  depths  of  the 


ifi  i 


Regenerating  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit     107 


inmost  soul,  transforming  thoughts,  aiFections,  will,  the 
whole  inward  man.  I  believe  in  sudden  regeneration 
because  the  Bible  teaches  it  and  because  I  have  seen  it 
times  without  number.  I  believe  in  sudden  regenera- 
tion because  I  have  experienced  it.  We  are  sometimes 
told  that  **  the  religion  of  the  future  will  not  teach  sud- 
den miraculous  conversion."  If  the  religion  of  the 
future  does  not  teach  sudden  miraculous  conversion,  if 
it  does  not  teach  something  far  more  meaningful,  sud- 
den, miraculous  regeneration  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  then  the  religion  of  the  future  will  not  be  in 
conformity  with  the  facts  of  experience  and  so  will  not 
be  scientific.  It  will  miss  one  of  the  most  certain  and 
most  glorious  of  all  truths.  Man-devised  religions  in 
the  past  have  often  missed  the  truth  and  man-devised 
religions  in  the  future  will  doubtless  do  the  same.  But 
the  religion  God  has  revealed  in  His  Word  and  the  re- 
ligion that  God  confirms  in  experience  teaches  sudden 
regeneration  by  the  mighty  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
If  I  did  not  believe  in  regeneration  by  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  I  would  quit  preaching.  What  would  be 
the  use  in  facing  great  audiences  in  which  there  were 
multitudes  of  men  and  women  hardened  and  seared, 
caring  for  nothing  but  the  things  of  the  world  and  the 
flesh,  with  no  high  and  holy  aspirations,  with  no  out- 
look beyond  money  and  fame  and  power  and  pleasure, 
if  it  were  not  for  the  regenerating  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  ?  But  with  the  regenerating  power  of  the  Hoty 
Spirit,  there  is  every  use ;  for  the  preacher  can  never 
tell  where  the  Spirit  of  God  is  going  to  strike  and  do 
His  mighty  work.     There  sits  before  you  a  man  who 


lo8  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


I 


I 


I 


it  a  gambler,  or  a  drunkard,  or  a  libertine.  There 
does  not  teem  to  be  much  ise  in  preaching  to  him, 
but  you  can  never  tell  but  that  very  night,  the  Spirit  of 
God  will  touch  that  man't  heart  and  trantform  him 
into  one  of  the  holiett  and  mott  uteful  of  men.  It  hat 
often  occurred  in  the  patt  and  will  doubtle^t  often  oc- 
cur in  the  future.  There  titt  before  you  a  woman, 
who  it  a  mere  butterfly  of  fathion.  She  teemt  to  have 
no  thought  above  society  and  pleasure  and  adulation. 
Why  preach  to  her  ?  Without  the  regenerating  power 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  It  would  be  foolishness  and  a  waste 
of  time }  but  you  can  never  tell,  perhaps  this  very 
night  the  Spirit  of  God  will  shine  in  that  darlcened 
heart  and  open  the  eyes  of  that  woman  to  see  the 
beauty  of  Jesus  Christ  and  she  may  receive  Him  and 
then  and  there  the  life  of  God  be  imparted  by  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  that  trifling  soul. 

The  doctrine  of  the  regenerating  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  a  glorious  doctrine.  It  sweeps  away  false 
hopes.  It  comes  to  the  one  who  is  trusting  in  educa- 
tion and  culture  and  says,  *^  Education  and  culture  are 
not  enough.  You  mutt  be  born  again."  It  comes  to 
the  one  who  is  trusting  in  mere  external  morality,  and 
says,  "  External  morality  is  not  enough,  you  must  be 
born  again."  It  comes  to  the  one  who  is  trusting  in 
the  externalities  of  religion,  in  going  to  church,  reading 
the  Bible,  saying  prayers,  being  confirmed,  being  bap- 
tized, partaking  of  the  Lord's  supper,  and  says,  "  The 
mere  externalities  of  religion  are  not  enough,  you  must 
be  .born  again."  It  comes  to  the  one  who  is  trusting 
in  turning  over  a  new   leaf,  in  outward  reform,  in 


Regenerating  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit     109 

quitting  hit  meanness ;  it  says,  **  Outward  reform^  gult- 
ting  jrour  meanness  is  not  enough.  You  must  he.  horn 
again."  But  in  place  of  the  vague  and  shallow  hopes 
that  it  sweeps  away,  it  brings  in  a  new  hope,  a  good 
hope,  a  blessed  hope,  a  glorious  hope.  It  says,  "You, 
m^  IHf  bqm  again."  It  comes  to  the  one  who  has  no 
desire  higher  than  the  desire  for  things  animal  or  selfish 
or  worldly  and  says, "  You  may  become  a  partaker  of  the 
/Divine  nature,  and  love  the  things  that  God  loves  and 
^hate  the  things  that  God  hates.  You  may  become  like 
Jesus  Christ.    You  may  be  born  again." 


U' 


/.      /. 


^■ 


>;  3 


A^ 


i\>.c*\/   .'y\ 


s,il  i.'  --  'K  U 


/ 


4 


ll 


The  Indwelling  Spirit  Fully  and  Forever 
Satisfying 

THE  Holy  Spirit  takes  up  His  abode  in  the  one 
who  is  born  of  the  Spirit.  The  Apostle  Paul 
says  to  the  believers  in  Corinth  in  i  Cor.  iii. 
16,  R.  v.,  "  Know  ye  not  that  ye  are  a  temple  of  God, 
and  that  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you  ? "  This 
passage  refers,  not  so  much  to  the  individual  believer, 
as  to  the  whole  body  of  believers,  the  Church.  The 
Church  as  a  body  is  indwelt  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  But 
in  1  Cor.  vi.  19,  R.  V.,  we  read,  "  Know  ye  not  that 
your  body  is  a  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost  which  is  in 
you,  which  ye  have  from  God  ?  "  It  is  evident  in  this 
passage  that  Paul  is  not  speaking  of  the  body  of  be- 
lievers, of  the  Church  as  a  whole,  but  of  the  individual 
believer.  In  a  similar  way,  the  Lord  Jesus  said  to  His 
disciples  on  the  night  before  His  crucifixion,  "  And  I 
will  pray  the  Father,  and  He  shall  give  you  another 
Comforter,  that  He  may  abide  with  you  forever ;  Even 
the  Spirit  of  truth ;  whom  the  world  cannot  receive, 
because  it  seeth  Him  not,  neither  knoweth  Him:  but  ye 
know  Him ;  for  He  dwelleth  with  you  and  shall  be  in 
you"  {]o\in  xiv.  16,  17).  The  Holy  Spirit  dwells  in 
every  one  who  is  born  again.  We  read  m  Rom.  viii.  9, 
"  If  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ  (the  Spirit  of 

no 


The  Indwelling  Spirit 


111 


Christ  in  this  verse,  as  we  have  already  seen,  does  not 
mean  merely  a  Christlike  spirit,  but  is  a  name  of  the 
Holy  Spirit)  he  is  none  of  His."  One  may  be  a  very 
imperfect  believer  but  if  he  really  is  a  believer  in  Jesus 
Christ,  if  he  has  really  been  born  again,  the  Spirit  of 
God  dwells  in  him.  It  is  very  evident  from  the  First 
Epistle  to  the  Corinthians  that  the  believers  in  Corinth 
were  very  imperfect  believers ;  they  were  full  of  imper- 
fection and  there  was  gross  sin  among  them.  But 
nevertheless  Paul  tells  them  that  they  are  temples  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  even  when  dealing  with  them  concern- 
ing gross  immoralities.  (See  i  Cor.  vi.  15-19.)  The 
Holy  Spirit  dwells  in  every  child  of  God.  In  some,  how- 
ever, He  dwells  way  back  of  consciousness  in  the 
hidden  sanctuary  of  their  spirit.  He  is  not  allowed  to 
take  possession  as  He  desires  of  the  whole  man,  spirit, 
soul  and  body.  Some  therefore  are  not  distinctly 
conscious  of  His  indwelling,  but  He  is  there  none  the 
less.  What  a  solemn,  and  yet  what  a  glorious  thought, 
that  in  me  dwells  this  august  Person,  the  Holy  Spirit. 
If  we  are  children  of  God,  we  are  not  so  much  to  pray 
that  the  Spirit  may  come  and  dwell  in  us,  for  He  does 
that  already,  we  are  rather  to  recognize  His  presence. 
His  gracious  and  glorious  indwelling,  and  give  to  Him 
complete  control  of  the  house  He  already  inhabits,  and 
strive  to  so  live  as  not  to  grieve  this  holy  One,  this 
Divine  Guest.  We  shall  see  later,  however,  that  it  is 
right  to  pray  for  the  filling  or  baptism  with  the  Spirit. 
What  a  thought  it  gives  of  the  hallowedness  and 
sacredness  of  the  body,  to  think  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
dwelling  within  us.     How  considerately  we  ought  to 


I  i 


i  t 


;  U" 


■i', 

B 

:     I  -t 

■I 

■               > 

H 

■fi 

3       ' 

1 1 2  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

treat  these  bodies  and  how  sensitively  we  ought  to  shun 
everything  that  will  defile  them.  How  carefully  we 
ought  to  walk  in  all  things  so  as  not  to  grieve  Him 
who  dwells  within  us. 

This  indwelling  Spirit  is  a  source  of  full  and  ever- 
lasting satisfaction  and  life.    Jesus  Mys  in  John  iv.  14, 
R.  v.,  "  Whosoever  drinketh  of  the  water  that  I  shall 
give  him  shall  never  thirst ;  but  the  water  that  I  shall 
give  him  shall  become  in  him  a  well  of  water  spring- 
ing up  unto  (better  »» into  "  as  in  A.  V.)  eternal  life." 
Jesus  was  talking  to  the  woman  of  Samaria  by  the  well 
at  Sychar.    She  had  said  to  Him,  "  Art  Thou  greater 
than  our  father  Jacob,  who  gave  us  the  well  and  drank 
thereof  himself,  and  his  children  and  his  cattle?" 
Then  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  her,  "Whosoever 
drinketh  of  this  water  shall  thirst  again."     How  true 
that  is  of  every  earthly  fountain.    No  matter  how 
deeply   we  drink  we   shall  thirst  again.     No  earthly 
spring  of  satisfaction  ever  fully   satisfies.    We  may 
drink  of  the  fountain  of  wealth  as  deeply  as  we  may,  it 
will  not  satisfy  long.     We  shall  thirst  again.     We  may 
drink  of  the  fountain  of  fame  as  deeply  as  any  man 
ever  drank,  the  satisfaction  is  but  for  an  hour.    We 
may  drink  of  the  fountain  of  woridly  pleasure,  of  hu- 
man science  and  philosophy  and  of  earthly  learning,  we 
may  even  drink  of  the  fountain  of  human  love,  none 
will  satisfy  long ;  we  shall  thirst  again.     But  then  Jesus 
went  on  to  say,  "  But  whosoever  drinketh  of  the  water 
that  I  shall  give  him  shall  never  thirst,  but  the  water 
that  I  shall  give  him  shall  be  in  him  a  well  of  water 
springing  up  into  everlasting  life."     The  water  that 


The  Indwelling  Spirit 


»»3 


Jetui  Christ  gives  is  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  John  tells 
us  in  the  most  explicit  language  in  John.vii.  37-39« 
**  In  the  last  day,  that  great  day  of  the  feast,  Jesus 
stood  and  cried,  saying.  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him 
come  unto  Me  and  drink.  He  that  believeth  on  Me, 
as  the  Scripture  hath  said,  out  of  his  belly  shall  flowr 
rivers  of  iiving  water.  (But  this  spakt  Hi  oftht  Spirit^ 
which  they  that  believe  on  Him  should  receive.) "  The 
Holy  Spirit  fully  and  forever  satisfies  the  one  who  re- 
ceives Him.  He  becomes  within  him  a  well  of  water 
springing  up,  ever  springing  up,  into  everlasting  life. 
It  is  a  great  thing  to  have  a  well  that  you  can  carry 
with  you  \  to  have  a  well  that  is  within  you  ;  to  have 
your  source  of  satisfaction,  not  in  the  things  outside 
yourself,  but  in  a  v  U  within  and  that  is  always  within, 
and  that  is  always  inging  up  in  freshness  and  power } 
to  have  our  well  ot  ^«iisfaction  and  joy  within  u  We 
are  then  independent  of  our  environment.  It  ni« 
little  whether  we  have  health  or  sickness,  prosperity  oi 
adversity,  our  source  of  joy  is  within  and  is  ever  spring- 
ing up.  It  matters  comparatively  little  even  whether 
we  have  our  friends  with  us  or  are  separated  from  them, 
separated  even  by  what  men  call  death,  this  fountain 
within  is  always  gushing  up  and  our  souls  are  satisfied. 
Sometimes  this  fountain  within  gushes  up  with  gm'ctx. 
power  and  fullness  in  the  days  of  deepest  bereavem>  'it. 
At  such  a  time  all  earthly  satisfactions  fail.  What  sat- 
isfaction is  there  in  money,  or  worldly  pleasure,  in  the 
theatre  or  the  opera  or  the  dance,  in  fame  or  power  or 
human  learning,  when  some  loved  one  is  taken  from 
us  ?     But  in  the  hours  when  those  that  we  loved  dear- 


114  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


t* 


est  upon  earth  tre  taken  from  ut,  then  it  is  that  the 
tpring  of  joy  of  the  indwelling  Spirit  of  God  bunts 
forth  with  fullest  flow,  sorrow  and  sighing  flee  away 
and  our  own  spirits  are  filled  with  peace  and  ecstasy. 
We  have  beauty  for  ashes,  the  oil  of  joy  for  mourning, 
the  garment  of  praise  for  the  spirit  of  heaviness 
(Im.  Ixi.  3).  If  the  experience  were  not  too  sacred  to 
put  in  print,  I  could  tell  of  a  moment  of  sudden  and 
overwhelming  bereavement  and  sorrow,  when  it  seemed 
as  if  I  would  be  crushed,  when  I  cried  aloud  in  an 
agony  that  seemed  unendurable,  when  suddenly  and  in- 
stantly this  fountain  of  the  Holy  Spirit  within  burst 
forth  and  I  knew  such  a  rest  and  joy  as  I  had  rarely 
known  before,  and  my  whole  being  was  suffused  with 
the  oil  of  gladness. 

The  one  who  has  rhe  Spirit  of  God  dwelling  within 
as  a  well  springing  up  into  everlasting  life  is  independ- 
ent of  the  world's  pleasures.  He  does  not  need  to  run 
after  the  theatre  and  the  opera  and  the  dance  and  the 
cards  and  the  other  pleasures  without  which  life  does 
not  seem  worth  living  to  those  who  have  not  received 
the  Holy  Spirit.  He  gives  these  things  up,  not  so 
much  because  he  thinks  they  are  wrong,  as  because  he 
has  something  so  much  better.  He  loses  all  taste  for 
them. 

A  lady  once  came  to  Mr.  Moody  and  said,  "  Mr. 
Moody,  I  do  not  like  you."  He  asked,  "  Why  not  ?  " 
She  said,  "  Because  you  are  too  narrow."  "  Narrow  ! 
I  did  not  know  that  I  was  narrow."  "  Yes,  you  are 
too  narrow.  You  don't  believe  in  the  theatre ;  you 
don't  believe  in  cards  -,  you  don't  believe  in  dancing." 


1  ■ 


The  Indwelling  Spirit 


»»5 


«*  How  do  you  know  I  don't  believe  in  the  theatre  f " 
he  Mited.    "  Oh,"  she  taid, "  I  know  you  don't."    Mr. 
Moody  replied,  "  I  go  to  the  theatre  whenever  1  want 
to."     "What,"  cried   the  woman,  "you  go  to  the 
theatre  whenever  you  want  to  ?  "    "  Yea,  I  go  to  the 
theatre  whenever  I  want  to."    "  Oh,"  the  said,  "  Mr. 
Moody,  you  are  a  much  broader  man  than  I  thought 
you  were.     I  am  to  glad  to  hear  you  say  it,  that  you 
go  to  the  theatre  whenever  you  want  to."    "  Yei,  I  go 
to  the  theatre  whenever  I  want  to.     I  don't  want  lO." 
Any  one  who  haa  really  received  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
in  whom  the  Holy  Spirit  dwells  and  it  unhindered  in 
His  working  will  not  want  to.     Why  is  it  then  that  so 
many  professed  Christians  do  go  after  these  woridly 
amusements  ?     For  one  of  two  reasons  i  either  because 
they  have  never  definitely  received  the  Holy  Spirit,  or 
else  because  the  fountain  is  choked.     It  is  quite  pos- 
sible for  a  fountain  to  become  choked.    The  best  well 
in  one  of  our  inland  cities  was  choked  and  dry  for 
many  months  because  an  old  rag  carpet  had  been  thrust 
into  the  opening  from  which  the  water  flowed.    When 
the  rag  was  pulled  out,  the  water  flowed  again  pure 
and  cool  and  invigorating.    There  are  many  in  the 
Church  to-day  who  once  knew  the  matchless  joy  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  but  some  sin  or  woridly  conformity,  some 
act  of  disobedience,  more  or  less  conscious  disobedience, 
to  God  has  come  in  and  the  fountain  is  choked.     Let 
us  pull  out  the  old  rags  to-day  that  this  wondrous  foun- 
tain may  burst  forth  again,  spring'  Jg  up  every  day  and 
hour  into  everlasting  life. 


f 


XI 


. 


11 


The  Holy  Spirit  Setting  the  Believer  Free 
From  the  Power  of  Indwelling  Sin 

IN  Rom.  viii.  2  the  Apostle  Paul  writes,  **The law 
of  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus  hath  made 
me  free  from  the  law  of  sin  ;ind  death."  What 
the  law  of  sin  and  death  is  we  learn  from  the  preceding 
chapter,  the  ninth  to  the  twenty-fourth  verses.  Paul  tells 
us  that  there  was  a  time  in  his  life  when  he  was  **  alive 
apart  from  the  law  "  (v.  9).  But  the  time  came  when 
he  was  brought  face  to  face  with  the  law  of  God  i  he 
saw  that  this  law  was  holy  and  the  commandment  holy 
and  just  and  good.  And  he  made  up  his  mind  to  keep 
this  holy  and  just  and  good  law  of  God.  But  he  soon 
discovered  that  beside  this  law  of  God  outside  him, 
which  was  holy  and  just  and  good,  that  there  was 
another  law  inside  him  directly  contrary  to  this  law  of 
God  ou*^<!ide  him.  While  the  law  of  God  outside  him 
said,  **  This  good  thing  "  and  ^^  this  good  thing  "  and 
*'this  good  thing"  and  **this  good  thing  thou  shaltdo," 
the  law  within  him  said,  **  You  cannot  do  this 
good  thing  that  you  would ;  "  and  a  fierce  combat 
ensued  between  this  holy  and  just  and  good  law  with- 
out him  which  Paul  himself  approved  after  the  inward 
man,  and  this  other  law  in  his  members  which  warred 
against  the  law  of  his  mind  and  kept  constantly  saying, 

116 


Setting  the  Believer  Free 


117 


(t 


You  cannot  do  the  good  that  you  would."     But  this 
law  in  his  members  (the  law  that  the  good  that  he 
would  do,  he  did  not,  but  the  evil  that  he  would  not 
he  constantly  did,  v.   19)  gained  the  victory.     Paul's 
attempt   to   keep   the   law  of  God   resulted    in  total 
failure.     He  found  himself  sinking  deeper  and  deeper 
into  the  mire  of  sin,  constrained  and  dragged  down  by 
this  law  of  sin  in  his  members,  until  at  last  he  cried 
out,  "  Oh,  wretched  man  that  I  am,  who  shall  deliver 
me  out  of  the  body  of  this  death  ? "  (v.  24,  R.  V.). 
Then  Paul  made  another  discovery.     He  found  that  in 
addition  to  the  two  laws  that  he  had  already  found,  the 
law  of  God  without  him,  holy  and  just  and  good,  and 
the  law  of  sin  and  death  within  him,  the  law  that  the 
good  he  would  he  could  not  do  and  the  evil  he  would 
not,  he  must  keep  on  doing,  there  was  a  third  law, 
»» the  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus,"  and 
this    third    law   read   this   way,   "The   righteousness 
which  you  cannot  achieve  in  your  own  strength  by  the 
power  of  your  own  will  approving  the  law  of  God, 
the  righteousness  which  the  law  of  God  without  you, 
holy  and  just  and  good  though  it  is,  cannot  accomplish 
in  you,  in  that  it  is  weak  through  your  flesh,  the  Spirit 
of  life  in  Christ  Jesus  can  produce  in  you  so  that  the 
righteousness  that  the  law  requires  may  be  fulfilled  in 
you,  if  you  will  not  walk  after  the  flesh  but  after  the 
Spirit.     In  other  words  when  we  come  to  the  end  of 
ourselves,  when  we  fully  realize  our  own   inability  to 
keep  the  law  of  God  and  in  utter  helplessness  look  up 
to  the  Holy  Spirit  in  Christ  Jesus  to  do  for  us  that  which 
we  cannot  do  for  ourselves,  and  surrender  our  every 


ii8  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


11  f 


thought  and  every  purpose  and  every  desire  and  every 
affection  to  His  absolute  control  and  thus  walk  after 
the  Spirit,  the  Spirit  does  take  control  and  set  us  free 
from  the  power  of  sin  that  dwells  in  us  and  brings  our 
whole  lives  into  conformity  to  the  will  of  God.  //  is 
the  privilege  of  the  child  of  God  in  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  have  victory  over  sin  every  day  and  every  hour 
and  every  moment. 

There  are  many  professed  Christians  to-day  living 
in  the  experience  that  Paul  described  -"  Rom.  vii.  9-24. 
Each  day  is  a  day  of  defeat  and  if  at  the  close  of  the 
day,  they  review  their  lives  they  must  cry,  "Oh, 
wretched  man  that  I  am,  who  shall  deliver  me  out  of 
the  body  of  this  death  ? "  There  are  some  who  even 
go  so  far  as  to  reason  that  this  is  the  normal  Christian 
life,  but  Paul  tells  us  distinctly  that  this  was  "when  the 
commandment  came "  (v.  9),  not  when  the  Spirit 
came  ;  that  it  is  the  experience  under  law  and  not  in 
the  Spirit.  The  pronoun  "  I "  occurs  twenty-seven 
times  in  these  fifteen  verses  and  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not 
found  once,  whereas  in  the  eighth  chapter  of  Romans 
the  pronoun  "  I  "  Is  found  only  twice  in  the  whole 
chapter  and  the  Holy  Spirit  appears  constantly.  Again 
Paul  tells  us  in  the  fourteenth  verse  that  th.'s  was  his 
experience  as  "  carnal,  sold  under  sin."  Certainly, 
that  does  not  describe  the  normal  Christian  experience. 
On  the  other  hand  in  Rom.  viii.  9  we  are  told  how 
not  to  be  in  the  flesh  but  in  the  Spirit.  In  the  eighth 
chapter  of  Romans  we  have  a  picture  of  the  true 
Christian  life,  the  life  that  is  possible  to  each  one  of  us 
and  that  God  expects  from  each  one  of  us.     Here  we 


Setting  the  Believer  Free 


119 


have    a    life  where    not    merely   the    commandment 
comes  but  the  Spirit  comes,  and  works  obedience  to 
the  commandment  and  brings  us  complete  victory  over 
the  law  of  sin  and  death.     Here  we  have  life,  not  in 
the  flesh,  but  in  the  Spirit,  where  we  not  only  sec  the 
beauty   of   the    law   (Rom.    vii.    22)   but   where   the 
Spirit  imparts  power  to  keep  it  (Rom.  viii.  4).    We  still 
have  the  flesh  but  we  are  not  in  the  flesh  and  we  do 
not  live  after  the  flesh.     We  "  through  the  Spirit  do 
mortify  the  deeds  of  the  body  "  (v.  13).    The  desires 
of  the  body  are  still  there,  desires  which  if  made  the 
rule  of  our  life,  would  lead  us  into  sin,  but  we  day  by 
day  b;  the  power  of  the  Spirit  do  put  to  death  the 
deeds  to  which  the  desires  of  the  body  would  lead  us. 
We  walk  ^^r  the  Spirit  and  therefore  do  not  fulfill  the 
lusts   of   the   flesh   (Gal.  v.    16,  R.  V.).     We  have 
crucified  the  flesh  with  the  passions  and  lusts  thereof 
(Gal.  V.  24,  R.  v.).     It  would  be  going  too  far  to  say 
we  bad  still  a  carnal  nature^  for  a  carnal  nature  is  a 
nature  governed  by  the  flesh ;  but  we  have  the  fleshy  but 
in  the  Spirit's  power,  it  is  our  privilege  to  get  daily, 
hourly,  constant  victory  over  the  flesh  and  over  sin. 
But  this  victory  is  not  in  ourselves,  nor  in  any  strength 
of  our  own.     Left  to  ourselves,  deserted  of  the  Spirit 
of  God,  we  would  be  as  helpless  as  ever.     It  is  still 
true  that  in  us,  that  is  in  our  flesh,  dwelleth  no  good 
thing  (Rom.  vii.  18).     It  is  all  in  the  power  of  the  in- 
dwelling Spirit,  but  the  Spirit's  power  may  be  in  such 
fullness  that  one  is  not  even  conscious  of  the  presence 
of  the  flesh.     It  seems  as  if  it  were  dead  and  gone 
forever,  but  it  is  only  kept  in  place  of  death  by  the 


il^ 


;  Xh 


i.:-  -is 


120  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

Holy  Spirit's  power.     If  for  one  moment  we  were  to 
get  our  eyes  oflF  from  Jesus  Christ,  if  we  were  to 
neglect  the  daily  study  of  the  Word  and  prayer,  down 
we  would  go.     We  must  live  in  the  Spirit  and  walk  in 
the    Spirit    if    we    would    have    continuous    victory 
(Gal.  V.  i6, 25).     The  life  of  the  Spirit  within  us  must 
be  maintained  by  the  study  of  the  Word  and  prayer. 
One  of  the  saddest  things  ever  witnessed  is  the  way  in 
which  some  people  who  have  entered  by  the  Spirit's 
power  into  a  life  of  victory  become  self-confident  and 
fancy  that  the  victory  is  in  themselves,  and  that  they 
can  safely  neglect  tL     study  of  the  Word  and  prayer. 
The  depths  to  which  such  sometimes  fall  is  appalling. 
Each  of  us  needs  to  lay  to  heart  the  inspired  words  of 
the   Apostle,  "Wherefore,  let   him  that  thinketh  he 
standcth  take  heed  lest  he  fall"  (i  Cor.  x.  12).     I 
once  knew  a  man  who  seemed  to  make  extraordinary 
strides  in  the  Christian  life.     He  became  a  teacher  of 
others    and    was    greatly    blessed    to   thousands.     It 
seemed  to  me  that  he  was  becoming  self-confident  and 
I  trembled  for  him.     I  invited  him  to  my  room  and 
we  had  a  long  heart  to  heart  conversation.     I  told  him 
frankly  that  it  seemed  as  if  he  were  going  perilously 
near  exceedingly   dangerous   ground.     I   said   that   I 
found  it  safer  at  the  close  of  each  day  not  to  be  too 
confident  that  there  had  been   no  failures  nor  defeats 
that  day  but  to  go  alone  with  God  and  ask  Him  to 
search  my  heart  and  show  me  if  there  was  anything  in 
my  outward  or  inward  life  that  was  displeasing  to  Him, 
and  that  very  often  failures  were  brought  to  light  that 
must  be  confessed  as  sin.     '*No,"he  replied,  "I  do 


Setting  the  Believer  Free 


121 


not  need  to  do  that.  Even  if  I  should  do  something 
wrong,  I  would  see  it  at  once.  I  keep  very  short 
accounts  with  God,  and  I  would  confess  it  at  once." 
I  said  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  it  would  be  safer  to  take 
time  alone  with  God  for  God  to  search  us  through  and 
through,  that  while  we  might  not  know  anything 
against  ourselves,  God  might  know  something  against 
us  (i  Cor.  iv.  4,  R.  V.),  and  He  would  bring  it  to  light 
and  our  failure  could  be  confessed  and  put  away. 
"No,"  he  said,  "he  did  not  feel  that  that  was 
necessary."  Satan  took  advantage  of  his  self-con- 
fidence. He  fell  into  most  appalling  sin,  and  though 
he  has  since  confessed  and  professed  repentance,  he 
has  been  utterly  set  aside  from  God's  service. 

In  John  viii.  32  we  read,  "  Ye  shall  know  the  truth 
and  the  truth  shall  set  you  free."     In  this  verse  it  is  the 
truth,  or  the  Word  of  God,  that  sets  us  free  from  thfe 
power    of   sin    and  gives   us   victory.     And   in   Ps. 
cxix.  1 1  we  read,  "  Thy  Word  have  I  hid  in  my  heart, 
that  I  might  not  sin  against  Thee."     Here  again  it  is  the 
indwelling  Word  that  keeps  us  free  from  sin.     In  this 
matter  as   in   everything  else  what   in  one  place  is 
attributed  to  the  Holy  Spirit  is  elsewhere  attributed  to 
the  Word.     The  explanation,  of  course,  is  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  works  through  the  Word,  a.id  it  is  futile 
to  talk  of  the  Holy  Spirit  dwelling  in  us  if  we  neglect  the 
Word.     If  we  are  not  feeding  on  the  Word,  we  are 
not  walking  after  the  Spirit  and   we  shall  not  have 
victory  over  the  flesh  and  over  sin. 


XII 


[t  ' 


I. 


if 


The   Holy  Spirit  Forming  Christ  Within  Us 

IT  is  a  wonderful  and  deeply  significant  prayer  that 
Paul  offers  in  Eph.  iii.  16-19  for  the  believers  in 
Ephesus  and  for  all  believers  who  read  the  Epistle. 
Paul  writes,  **  For  this  cause  I  bow  my  knees  un'o 
the  Father,  from  whom  every  family  in  heaven  and  on 
earth  is  named,  that  He  would  grant  you,  according 
to  the  riches  of  His  glory,  that  ye  may  be  strengthened 
with  power  through  His  Spirit  in  the  inward  man  ;  that 
Christ  may  dwell  in  your  hearts  through  faith }  to  the 
end  that  ye,  being  rooted  and  grounded  in  love,  may 
be  strong  to  apprehend  with  all  the  saints  what  is  the 
breadth  and  length,  and  height  and  depth,  and  to  know 
the  love  of  Christ  which  passeth  knowledge,  that  ye 
may  be  filled  unto  all  the  fullness  of  God  "  (R.  V.).  We 
have  here  an  advance  in  the  thought  over  that  which 
we  have  just  been  studying  in  the  preceding  chapter. 
It  is  the  carrying  out  of  the  former  work  to  its  comple- 
tion. Here  the  power  of  the  Spirit  manifests  itself,  not 
merely  in  giving  us  victory  over  sin  but  in  four  things : 
I.  In  Christ  dwelling  in  our  hearts.  The  word 
translated  *^  dwell "  in  this  passage  is  a  very  strong 
word.  It  means  literally, "  to  dwell  down,"  "  to  settle," 
"  to  dwell  deep."  It  is  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
form  the  living  Christ  within  us,  dwelling  deep  down 

122 


Forming  Christ  Within  Us  123 


in  the  deepest  depths  of  our  being.    We  have  already 
seen  that  this  was  a  part  of  the  significance  of  the  name 
sometimes   used   of  the    Holy    Spirit,  **the  Spirit  of 
Christ."     In  Christ  on  the  cross  of  Calvary,  made  an 
atoning    sacrifice    for  sin,   bearing  the  curse  of  the 
broken  law   in  our  place,  we  have  Christ  for  us.     But 
by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  bestowed  upon  us  by 
the  risen  Christ  we  have  Christ  in  us.     Herein  lies  the 
secret  of  a  Christlike  life.     We  hear  a  great  deal  in 
these  days  about  doing  as  Jesus  would  do.     Certainly 
we  ought  as  Christians  to  live  like  Christ.     **  He  that 
saith  he  abideth  in  Him,  ought  himself  so  to  walk  even 
as  He  walked  "  (1  John  ii.  6).     But  any  attempt  on 
our  part  to  imitate  Christ  in  our  own  strength  will  Qnly 
result  in   utter  disappointment  and  despair.     There  is 
nothing  more  futile  that  we  can  possibly  attempt  than 
to  imitate  Christ  in  the  power  of  our  own  will.     If  we 
fancy  that  we  succeed  it  will  be  simply  because  we  have 
a  very  incomplete  knowledge  of  Christ.     The  more 
we  study   Him,  and  the  more  perfectly  we  understand 
His  conduct,  the  more  clearly  will  we  see  how  far  short 
we  have  come  from  imitating  Him.     But  God  does  not 
demand  of  us  the   impossible.  He  does  not  demand  of 
us   that   we  imitate  Christ  in  our  own  strength.     He 
offers  to  us  something  infinitely    better.    He  offers  to 
form   Christ   in   us  by  the  power  of  His  Holy  Spirit. 
And   when    Christ   is  thus  formed  in  us  by  the  Holy 
Spirit's  power,  all  we  have  to  do  is  to  let  this  indwell- 
ing Christ  live  -<ut  His  own  life  in  us,  and  then  we  shall 
be  like   Christ  without  struggle  and  effort  of  our  own. 
A  woman,  who  had  a  deep  knowledge  of  the  Word  and 


n 


II 


us 


'is 


124  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

a  rare  experience  of  the  fullness  that  there  is  in  Christ, 
stood  one  morning  before  a  body  of  ministers  as  they 
plied  her  with  questions.    ^  Do  you  mean  to  say,  Mrs. 

H ,"  one  of  the  ministers  asked,    *'  that  you  are 

holy  i "  Quickly  but  very  meekly  and  gently,  the 
elect  lady  replied,  **  Christ  in  me  is  holy."  No,  we 
are  not  holy.  To  the  end  of  the  chapter  in  and  of 
ourselves  we  are  full  of  weakness  and  failure,  but  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  able  to  form  within  us  the  Holy  One  of 
God,  the  indwelling  Christ,  and  He  will  live  out  His 
life  through  us  in  all  the  humblest  relations  of  life  as 
well  as  in  those  relations  of  life  that  are  considered 
greater.  He  will  live  out  His  life  through  the  mother 
in  the  home,  through  the  day-labourer  in  the  pit,  through 
the  business  man  in  his  office — everywhere. 

n.  In  our  being  rooted  and  grounded  in  love  (v.  17). 
Paul  multiplies  figures  here.  The  first  figure  is  taken 
from  the  tree  shooting  its  roots  down  deep  ir'o  the 
earth  and  taking  fast  hold  upon  it.  The  second  figure 
is  taken  from  a  great  building  with  its  foundations  laid 
deep  in  the  earth  on  the  rock.  Paul  therefore  tells  us 
that  by  the  strengthening  of  the  Spirit  in  the  inward 
man  we  send  the  roots  of  our  life  down  deep  into  the 
soil  of  love  and  also  that  the  foundations  of  the  super- 
structure of  our  character  are  built  upon  the  rock  of 
love.  Love  is  the  sum  of  holiness,  the  fulfilling  of  the 
law  (Rom.  xiii.  10)  i  love  is  what  we  all  most  need 
in  our  relations  to  f  iod,  to  Jesus  Christ  and  to  one  an- 
other ;  and  it  is  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  root  and 
ground  our  lives  in  love.  There  is  the  most  intimate 
relation   between   Christ   being   formed  within  us,  or 


Forming  Christ  Within  Us  1 2$ 

made  to  dwell  in  ut,  and  our  being  rooted  and  grounded 
in  love,  for  Jesus  Christ  Himself  is  the  absolutely  per- 
fect embodiment  of  divine  love. 

III.  In  our  being  madt  strong  to  apprthtnd  with  all 
tbi  saints  what  is  the  breadth  and  length  and  height  and 
depths  and  to  know  the  love  of  Christ  which  passeth  knowl- 
edge. It  is  not  enough  that  we  love,  we  must  know  the 
love  of  Christ,  but  that  love  passeth  knowledge.  It  is  so 
broad,  so  long,  so  high,  so  deep,  that  no  one  can  com- 
prehend it.  But  we  can  "apprehend"  it;  we  can 
lay  hold  upon  it }  we  can  make  it  our  own  i  we  can 
hold  it  before  us  as  the  object  of  our  meditation,  our 
wonde"^,  and  our  joy.  But  it  is  only  in  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  that  we  can  thus  apprehend  it.  The  mind 
cannot  grasp  it  at  all,  in  its  own  native  strength.  A  man 
unuught  and  unstrengthcned  by  the  Spirit  of  God  may 
talk  about  the  love  of  Christ,  he  oiay  write  poetry  about 
it,  he  may  go  into  rhapsodies  over  it,  but  it  is  only 
words,  words,  words.  There  is  no  real  apprehension. 
But  the  Spirit  of  God  makes  us  strong  to  really  ap- 
prehend it  in  all  its  breadth,  in  all  its  length,  in  all  its 
depth,  and  in  all  its  height. 

IV.  In  our  being  '* /tiled  untc  all  th,.  fullness  of  God." 
There  is  a  very  important  change  between  the  Au- 
thorized and  Revised  Version.  The  Authorized  Ver- 
sion reads  "  Filled  with  all  the  fullness  of  God."  The 
Revised  Version  reads  more  exactly  "  filled  unto  all  the 
fullness  of  God."  It  is  no  wonder  that  the  translators 
of  the  Authorized  Version  staggered  at  what  Paul  said 
and  sought  to  tone  down  the  full  force  of  his  words. 
To  be  filled  with  all  the  fullness  of  God  would  not  be 


h 


126  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

$0  wonderful,  for  it  it  an  easy  matter  to  fill  a  pint  cup 
with  all  the  fullneu  of  the  ocean,  a  tingle  dip  will  do  it. 
But  It  would  be  an  impossibility  indeed  to  fill  a  pint 
cup  uHto  all  the  fullness  of  the  ocean,  until  all  the  full- 
ness that  there  is  in  the  ocean  is  in  that  pint  cup.     But 
it  is  seemingly  a  more  impossible  tasic  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  undertakes  to  do  for  us,  to  fill  us  *'  unto  all  the 
fullness  "   of  the  infinite  God,  to  fill  us  until  all  the 
intellectual  and  moral  fullness  that  there  is  in  God  is  in 
us.     But  this  is  the  believer's  destiny,  we  are  "  heirs  cf 
God  and  joint-heirs  with  Jesus  Christ "  (Rom.  viii.  17), 
i.  /.,  we  are  heirs  of  God  to  the  extent  that  Jesus  Christ 
is  an  heir  of  God ;  that  is,  we  are  heirs  to  all  God  is 
and  all  God  has.     It  is  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
apply  to  us  that  which  is  already  ours  in  Christ.     It  is 
His  work  to  make  ours  experimentally  all  God  has  and 
all  God  is,  until  the  work  is  consummated  in  our  being 
♦*///*«/  unto  all  the  fullness  of  Cod.*     This  is  not  the 
work  of  a  moment,  nor  a  day,  nor  a  week,  nor  a  month, 
nor  a  year,  but  the  Holy  Spirit  day  by  day  puts  His 
hand,  as  it  were,  into  the  fullness  of  God  and  conveys 
to  us  what  He  has  taken  therefrom  and  puts  it  into  us, 
and  then  again  He  puts  His  hand  into  the  fullness  that 
there  is  in  God  and  conveys  to  us  what  is  taken  there- 
from, and  puts  it  into  us,  and  this  wonderful  process 
goes  on  day  after  day  and  week  after  week  and  month 
after  month,  and  year  after  year,  and  never  ends  until 
we  are  **  filled  unto  all  the  fullness  of  God." 


U 


XIII 

The  Holy  Spirit  Bringing  Forth  in  the  Believer 
Christlike  Graces  of  Character 

THERE  is  a  singular  charm,  a  charm  that  one 
can  scarcely  explain,  in  the  words  of  Paul  in 
Gal.  V.  22, 23,  R.  v.,  "  The  fruit  of  the  Spirit 
is  love,  joy,  peace,  longsufFering,  kindness,  goodness, 
faithfulness,  meekness,  temperance."  What  a  cata- 
logue we  have  here  of  lovely  moral  characteristics.  Paul 
tells  us  that  they  are  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit,  that  is,  if 
the  Holy  Spirit  is  given  control  of  our  lives,  this  is  the 
fruit  that  He  will  bear.  All  real  beauty  of  character, 
all  real  Christlikeness  in  us,  is  the  Holy  Spirit's  work ; 
it  is  His  fruit ;  He  produces  it ;  He  bears  it,  not  we. 
It  is  well  to  notice  that  these  graces  are  not  said  to  be 
the  fruits  of  the  Spirit  but  the  fruit,  1.  /.,  if  the  Spirit  is 
given  control  of  our  life,  He  will  not  bear  one  of  these 
as  fruit  in  one  person  and  another  as  fruit  in  another 
person,  but  this  will  be  the  one  fruit  of  many  flavours 
that  He  produces  in  each  one.  There  is  also  a  unity 
of  origin  running  throughout  all  the  multiplicity  of 
manifestation.  It  is  a  beautiful  life  that  is  set  forth  in 
these  verses.  Every  word  is  worthy  of  earnest  study 
and  profound  meditation.  Think  of  these  words 
one  by  one  ;  "  love  "—"joy  "— "  peace  "— "  longsuf- 
ferjng  "  —  "  kindness  "  —  "  goodness  "  —  «  faith  "  (or 

137 


128  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


'I 


**  faithrulness,"  R.  V.  i  faith  it  the  better  translation  if 
properly  understood.  The  word  is  deeper  than  faithful- 
ness. It  is  a  real  faith  that  results  in  faithfulness) — 
**  meekness  "— "  temperance  "  (or  a  life  under  per- 
fect control  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit).  We 
have  herr  perfect  picture  of  the  life  of  Jesus  Christ 
Himself.  iS  not  this  the  life  that  we  all  long  for,  the 
Christlike  life  ?  But  this  life  is  not  natural  to  us  and 
is  not  attainable  by  us  by  any  eiFort  of  what  we  are  in  our- 
selves. The  life  that  is  natural  to  us  is  set  forth  in 
the  three  preceding  verses  :  ^'  Now  the  works  of  the 
flesh  are  manifest,  which  are  these,  fornication,  unclean- 
ness,  lasciviousness,  idolatry,  sorcery,  enmities,  strife, 
jealousies,  wraths,  factions,  divisions,  heresies,  envy- 
ings,  drunkenness,  revcllings  and  such  like  "  (Gal.  v. 
21,  R.  v.).  All  these  works  of  the  flesh  will  not  mani- 
fest themselves  in  each  individual }  some  will  manifest 
then.^Iv  >  in  ont,  ithers  in  others,  but  they  have  one 
common  source,  the  flesh,  and  if  we  live  in  the  flesh, 
this  is  the  kind  of  a  life  that  we  will  live.  It  is  the  life 
that  is  natural  to  us.  But  when  the  ir  dwelling  Spirit 
is  given  full  control  in  the  one  He  inhabits,  when  we 
are  brought  to  realize  the  utter  badness  of  the  flesh  and 
give  up  in  hopeless  despair  of  ever  attaining  to  anything 
in  its  power,  when,  in  other  words,  we  come  to  the  end 
of  ourselves,  and  just  give  over  the  whole  work  of 
making  us  what  we  ought  to  be  to  the  indwelling  Holy 
Spirit,  then  and  only  then,  these  holy  graces  of  charac- 
ter, which  are  set  forth  in  Gal.  v.  22,  23,  are  His  fruit 
in  our  lives.  Do  you  wish  these  graces  in  your  charac- 
ter and  life  ?     Do  you  really  wish  them  ?    Then  re- 


Chriidike  Graces  of  Qiaracter 


129 


nounce  self  utterly  and  all  its  ttrivingi  after  holineM, 
give  up  any  thought  that  you  can  ever  attain  to  any- 
thing really  morally  beautiful  in  your  own  strength  and 
let  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  already  dwells  in  you  (if  you 
are  a  child  of  God)  take  full  control  and  bear  His  own 
glorious  fruit  in  your  daily  life. 

We  get  very  much  the  same  thought  from  a  diftierent 
point  of  view  in  the  second  chapter  and  twentieth  verse, 
A.  R.  v.,  **  I  have  been  crucified  with  Christ  i  and  it 
is  no  longer  I  that  live,  but  Christ  livcth  in  me  :  and 
that  life  which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh  I  live  in  faith, 
the  faith  which  is  in  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  me 
and  gave  Himself  up  for  me." 

We  hear  a  great  deal  in  these  days  about  **  Ethical 
Culture,"  which  usually  means  the  cultivation  of  the 
flesh  until  it  bears  tl  e  fruit  of  the  Spirit.  It  cannot  be 
done  i  no  more  than  thorns  can  be  made  to  bear  figs 
and  the  bramble  bush  grapes  (Luke  vi.  44 ;  Matt.  xii. 
33).  We  hear  also  a  great  deal  about  **  character  build- 
ing." That  may  be  all  very  well  if  you  bear  constantly 
in  mind  that  the  Holy  Spirit  must  do  the  building,  and 
even  then  it  is  not  so  much  building  as  fruit  bearing. 
(See,  however,  2  Pet.  i.  5-7.)  We  hear  also  a  great  deal 
about  *^  cultivating  graces  of  character,"  but  we  must 
always  bear  it  clearly  in  mind  that  the  way  to  cultivate 
true  graces  of  character  is  by  submitting  ourselves 
utterly  to  the  Spirit  to  do  His  work  and  bear  His  fruit. 
This  is  " sanctification  0/  the  Spirit"  (i  Pet.  i.  2; 
2  Thess.  ii.  13).  There  is  a  sense,  however,  in  which 
cultivating  graces  of  character  is  right :  viz.,  we  look 
at  Jesus  Christ  to  --  what  He  is  and  what  we  there- 


130   The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

fore  ought  to  be }  then  we  look  to  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
make  us  this  that  we  ought  to  be  and  thus,  *^  reflecting, 
as  a  mirror  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  we  are  transfo  ineu 
into  the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  'rom 
the  Lord  the  Spirit "  (2  Cor.  iii.  18,  R.  V.).  Settr  i, 
however,  clearly  and  forever  that  the  flesh  can  never 
bear  this  fruit,  that  you  can  never  attain  to  these  things 
by  your  own  effort  that  they  are  "  the  fruit  of  thi  Spirit." 


I 


XIV 

The  Holy  Spirit  Guiding  the  Believer  Into 
a  Life  as  a  Son 

THE  Apostle  Paul  writes   in  Rom.  viii.   14, 
R.  v.,  "  For  as  many  as  are  led  by  the  Spirit 
of  God^  these  are  the  sons  of  God."     In  this 
passage  we  see  the  Holy  Spirit  taking  the  conduct  of 
the  believer's  life.     A  true  Christian  life  is  a  personally 
conducted  life,  conducted  at  every  turn  by  a  Divine 
Person.     It  is  the  believer's  privilege  to  be  absolutely 
set  free  from  all  care  and  worry  and  anxiety  as  to  the 
decisions  which  we  must  make  at  any  turn  of  life. 
The  Holy  Spirit  undertakes  all  that  responsibility  for 
us.     A  true  Christian  life  is  not  one  governed  by  a 
long  set  of  rules  without  us,  but  led  by  a  living  and 
ever-present  Person  within  us.     It  is  in  this  connec- 
tion that  Paul  says,  "  For  ye  received  not  the  spirit  of 
bondage  again  to  fear."     A  life  governed  by  rules  with- 
out  one  is  a  life  of  bondage.     There  is  always/wr  that 
we  haven't  made  quite  rules  enough,  and  always  the 
dread   that   in   an   unguarded  moment  we  may  have 
broken  some  of  the  rules  which  we  have  made.     The 
life  that  many  professed  Christians  lead  is  one  of  awful 
bondage ;  for  they  have  put  upon  themselves  a  yoke 
more  grievous  to  bear  than  that  of  the  ancient  Mosaic 
law  concerning  which  Peter  said  to  the  Jews  of  his 

131 


'.    t 


132  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

time,  that  neither  they  nor  their  fathers  had  been  able 
to  bear  it  (Acts  xv.  10).  Many  Christians  have  a  long 
list  of  self-made  'ules,  "Thou  shalt  do  this,"  and 
"  Thou  shalt  do  this,"  and  "  Thou  shalt  do  this,"  and 
"  Thou  shalt  not  do  that,"  and  "  Thou  shalt  not  do 
that,"  and  "  Thou  shalt  not  do  that " ;  and  if  by  any 
chance  they  break  one  of  these  self-made  rules,  or 
forget  to  keep  one  of  them,  they  are  at  once  filled  with 
an  awful  dread  that  they  have  brought  upon  themselves 
the  displeasure  of  God  (and  they  even  sometimes  fancy 
that  they  have  committed  the  unpardonable  sin).  This 
is  not  Christianity,  this  is  legalism.  "  We  have  not 
received  the  spirit  of  bondage  again  to  fear,"  we  have 
received  the  Spirit  who  gives  us  the  place  of  sons 
(Rom.  viii.  15).  Our  lives  should  not  be  governed  by 
a  set  of  rules  without  us  but  by  the  loving  Spirit  of 
Adoption  within  us.  We  should  believe  the  teaching 
of  God's  Word  that  the  Spirit  of  God's  Son  dwells 
within  us  and  we  should  surrender  the  absolute  control 
of  our  life  to  Him  and  look  to  Him  to  guide  us  at 
every  turn  of  life.  He  will  do  it  if  we  only  surrender 
to  Him  to  do  it  and  trust  Him  to  do  it.  If  in  a 
moment  of  thoughtlessness,  we  go  our  own  way 
instead  of  His,  we  will  not  be  filled  with  an  over- 
whelming sense  of  condemnation  and  of  fear  of  an 
offended  God,  but  we  will  go  to  God  as  our  Father, 
confess  our  going  astray,  believe  that  He  forgives  us 
fully  because  He  says  so  (i  John  i.  9)  and  go  on  light 
and  happy  of  heart  to  obey  Him  and  be  led  by  His 
Spirit. 
Being  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God  does  not  mean  for  a 


A  Life  as  a  Son 


»33 


momeftt  that  we  will  do  things  that  the  written  Word 
of  God  tells  us  i.ot  to  do.     The   Holy  Spirit  never 
leads  men  contrary  to  the  Book  of  which  He  Himself 
is  the  Author.     And  if  there  is  some  spirit  which  is 
leading    us   to  do  something  that  is  contrary  to  the 
explicit  teachings  of  Jesus,  or  the  Apostles,  we  may  be 
perfectly  sure  that  this  spirit  who  is  leading  us  is  not 
the  Holy  Spirit.    This  point  needs  to  be  emphasized 
in  our  day,  for  there  are  not  a  few  who  give  them- 
selves over  to  the  leading  of  some  spirit,  whom  they 
say  is  the   Holy  Spirit,  but  who  is  leading  them  to  do 
things  explicitly  forbidden  in  the  Word.     We  must 
always   remember  that   many  false   spirits   and   false 
prophets  are  gone  out  into  the  world  (i  John  iv.  i). 
There  are  many  who  are  so  anx.  us  to  be  led  by  some 
unseen    power  *hat   they  are  ready  to  surrender  the 
conduct  of  the      lives  to  any  spiritual  influence   or 
unseen  person.     In  this  way,  they  open  their  lives  to 
the  conduct  and  malevolent  influence  of  evil  spirits  to 
the  utter  wrecic  and  ruin  of  their  lives. 

A  man  who  made  great  professions  of  piety  once 
came  to  me  and  said  that  the  Holy  Spirit  was  leading 
him  and  "  a  sweet  Christian  woman,"  whom  he  had 
met,  to  contemplate  marriage.  "Why,"  I  said,  in 
astonishment,  "you  already  have  one  wife."  "Yes," 
he  said,  "  but  you  know  we  are  not  congenial,  and  we 
have  not  lived  together  for  years."  "  Yes,"  I  replied, 
"  I  know  you  have  not  lived  together  for  years,  and  I 
have  looked  into  the  matter,  and  1  believe  that  the 
blame  for  that  lies  largely  at  your  door.  In  any  event, 
fhe  is  your  wife.    You  have  no  reason  to  suppose  she 


tl 


It   "5* 


It 


r.  !- 


I  .: 


'.: 


t     I 


134  T      Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

has  been  untrue  to  you,  and  Jesus   Christ   explicitly 
teaches  that   if  you   marry  another  while  she  lives  you 
commit  adultery  "  (Luke  xvi.  18).     "  Oh,  but,"  the 
man   said,  »'the  Spirit  of  God  is  leading  us  to  love 
one  another  and  to  see  that  we  ought  to  marry  one 
another."     "  You  lie,  and  you  blaspheme,"  I  replied. 
"  Any  spirit  that  is  leading  you  to  disobey  the  plain 
teaching  of  Jesus  Christ  is  not  the  Spirit  of  God  but 
some    spirit    of  the   devil."     This   perhaps   was   an 
extreme  case,  but  cases  of  essentially  the  same  charac- 
ter are  not  rare.     Many  professed  Christians  seek  to 
justify  themselves  in  doing  things  which  are  explicitly 
forbidden  in  the  Word  by  saying  that  they  are  led  by  the 
Spirit  of  God.     Not  long  ago,  I  protested  to  the  leaders 
in  a  Christian  assembly  where  at  each  meeting  many 
professed  to  speak  with  tongues  in  distinct  violation  of 
the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Spirit  through  the  Apostle 
Paul  in  I  Cor.  xiv.  27,  28  (that  not  more  than  two  or 
at  the  most,  three,  shall   speak  in  a  tongue  in  one 
gathering  and  that  not  even  one  shall  speak  unless 
there  was  an  interpreter,  and  that  no  two  shall  speak 
at  the  same  time).     The  defense  that  they  made  was 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  led  them  to  speak  several  at  a  time 
and  many  in  a  single  meeting  and  that  they  must  obey 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and   in  such  a  case  as  this  were  not 
subject  to  the  Word.     The  Holy  Spirit  never  contra- 
dicts Flimself.     He  never  leads  the  individual  to  do 
that  which  in  the  written  Word  He  has  commanded  us 
all   not   to  do.     Any  leading  of  the  Spirit  must  be 
tested  by  that  which  we  know  to  be  the  leading  of  the 
Spirit  in  the  Word.     But  while  we  need  to  be  on  our 


A  Life  as  a  Son 


»35 


guard  against  the  leading  of  false  spirits,  it  is  our 
privilege  to  be  led  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  to  lead  a  life 
free  from  the  bondage  of  rules  and  free  from  the 
anxiety  that  we  shall  not  go  wrong,  a  life  as  children 
whose  Father  has  sent  an  unerring  Guide  to  lead  them 

all  the  way. 

Those  who  are  thus  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God  are 
«  sons  of  God,"  that  is,  they  are  not  merely  children  of 
God,  born  it  is  true  of  the  Father,  but  immature,  but  they 
are  the  grown  children,  the  mature  children  of  God  j 
they  are  no  longer  babes  but  sons.    The  Apostle  Paul 
draws   a  contrast  in  Gal.  iv.  1-7  between  the  babe 
under  the  tutelage  of  the  law  and  differing  nothing 
from  a  servant,  and  the  full  grown  son  who  is  no  more 
a  servant  but  a  son  walking  in  joyous  liberty.     It  some- 
times seems  as  if  comparatively  few  Christians  to-day 
had  really  thrown  ofF  the  bondage  of  law,  rules  outside 
themselves,  and  entered  into  the  joyous  liberty  of  sons. 


4 


.»    » 


XV 

The  Holy  Spirit  Bearing  Witness  to  our 
Sonship 

ONE  of  the  most  precious  passages  in  the  Bible 
regarding  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  found 
in  Rom,   viii.  15,  16,  R.  V.,     "  For  ye  re- 
ceived not  the  spirit  of  bondage  again  to  fear  j  but  ye 
received  the  spirit  of  adoption,  whereby  we  cry  Abba, 
Father.     The  Spirit  Himself  beareth  witness  with  our 
spirit,  that  we  are  the  children  of  God."     There  are  two 
witnesses  to  our  sonship,  first,  our  own  spirit,  taking 
God  at  His  Word  ("  As  many  as  received  Him,  to  them 
gave  He  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God,"  John  i. 
12),  bears  witness   to  our  sonship.     Our  own  spirit 
unhesitatingly  affirms  that  what  God  says  is  true  that 
we  are  sons  of  God  because  God  says  so.     But  there  is 
another  witness  to  our  sonship,  namely,  the  Holy  Spirit. 
He  bears  witness  together  with  our  spirit.     "  Together 
with  "  is  the  force  of  the  Greek  used  in  this  passage. 
It  does  not  say  that  He  bears  witness  to  our  spirit  but 
"  together  with  "  it.     How  He  does  this  is  explained  in 
Gal.  iv.  6,  "Because  ye   are   sons,   God   hath   sent 
forth  the  Spirit  of  His  Son  into  your  hearts,  crying, 
Aoba,  Father."     When  we  have  received  Jesus  Christ 
as  our  Saviour  and  accepted  God's  testimony  concern- 
ing Christ  that  through  Him  we  have  become  sons,  the 

136 


Bearing  Witness  to  Our  Sonship       137 

Spirit  of  His  Son  comes  into  our  hearte  filling  them 
with  an  overwhelming  sense  of  sonship,  and  crying 
through   our  hearts,  "Abba,   Father."     The   natural 
attitude  of  our  nearts  towards  God  is  not  that  of  sons. 
We  may  call  Him  Father  with  our  lips,  as  when  for 
example  we  repeat  in  a  formal  way,  the  prayer  that 
Jesus  taught  us,  "  Our  Father,  which  art  in  heaven," 
but  there  is  no  real  sense  that  He  is  our  Father.     Our 
calling  Him  so  is  mere  words.     We  do  not  really  trust 
Him.     We  do  not  love  to  come  into  His  presence  j 
we  do  not  love  to  look  up  into  His  face  with  a  sense 
of  wonderful  joy  and  trust  because  we  are  talking  to 
our  Father.     We  dread  God.     We  come  to  Him  in 
prayer  because  we  think  we  ought  to  and  perhaps  we 
are  afraid  of  what  might  happen  if  we  did  not.     But 
when  the  Spirit  of  His  Son  bears  witness  together  with 
our  spirit  to  our  sonship,  then  we  are  filled  and  thrilled 
with  the  sense  that  we  are  sons.     We  trust  Him  as  we 
never  even  trusted  our  earthly  Father.     There  is  even 
less  fear  of  Him  than  there  was  of  our  earthly  father. 
Reverence  there   is,  awe,  but  oh!  such   a  sense  of 
wonderful  childlike  trust. 

Notice  when  it  is  that  the  Spirit  bears  witness  with 
our  spirit  that  we  are  the  children  of  God.  We  have 
the  order  of  experience  in  the  order  of  the  verses  in 
Rom.  viii.  First  we  see  the  Holy  Spirit  setting  us  free 
from  the  law  of  sin  and  death,  and  consequently,  the 
righteousness  of  the  law  fulfilled  in  us  who  walk  not 
after  the  law  but  after  the  Spirit  (vs.  2-4) ;  then  we 
have  the  believer  not  minding  the  things  of  the  flesh 
but  the  things  of  the  Spirit  (v.  5)  j  then  we  have  the 


1m 


I 


V  I 


i; 


138  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

believer  day  by  day  through  the  Spirit  putting  to  death 
the  deeds  of  the  bo  y  (v.  13)  j  then  we  have  the 
believer  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God ;  then  und  only  then, 
we  have  the  Spirit  bearing  witness  to  our  sonship. 
There  are  many  seeking  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  to 
their  sonship  in  the  wrong  place.  They  practically 
demand  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  to  their  sonship  before 
they  have  even  confessed  their  acceptance  of  Christ, 
and  certainly  before  they  have  surrendered  their  lives 
fully  to  the  control  of  the  indwelling  Spirit  of  God. 
No,  let  us  seek  things  in  their  right  order.  Let  us 
accept  Jesus  Christ  as  our  Saviour,  and  surrender  to 
Him  as  our  Lord  and  Master,  because  God  commands 
us  to  do  so ;  let  us  confess  Him  before  the  world 
because  God  commands  that  (Matt.  x.  32,  33  j  Rom. 
X.  9,  10)  i  let  us  assert  that  our  sins  are  forgiven,  that 
we  have  eternal  life,  that  we  are  sons  of  God  because 
God  says  so  in  His  Word  and  we  are  unwilling  to  make 
God  a  liar  by  doubting  Him  (Acts  x.  43 ;  xiii.  38,  39 ; 
1  John  V.  10-13;  John  v.  24;  John  i.  12);  let  us 
surrender  our  lives  to  the  control  of  the  Spirit  of  Life, 
looking  to  Him  to  set  us  free  from  the  law  of  sin  and 
death  i  let  us  set  our  minds,  not  upon  the  things  of  the 
flesh  but  the  things  of  the  Spirit ;  let  us  through  the 
Spirit  day  by  day  put  to  death  the  deeds  of  the  body ; 
let  us  give  our  lives  up  to  be  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God 
in  all  things  j  and  then  let  us  simply  trust  God  to  send 
the  Spirit  of  His  Son  into  our  hearts  filling  us  with  a 
sense  of  sonship,  crying,  "  Abba,  Father,"  and  He  will 
do  it. 

God,  our   Father,  longs   that    wc  shall   know    and 


i:im^:i*rmim.j«^  mmmm 


Bearing  Witness  to  Our  Sonship       139 

realize  that  wc  arc  His  sons.  He  longs  to  hear  us  call 
Him  Father  from  hearts  that  realize  what  they  say, 
and  that  trust  Him  without  a  fear  or  anxiety.  He  is 
our  Father,  He  alone  in  all  the  universe  realizes  the 
fullness  of  meaning  that  there  is  in  that  wonderful 
word  "Father,"  and  it  brings  joy  to  Him  to  have  us 
realize  that  He  is  our  Father  and  to  call  Him  so. 

Some  years  ago  there  was  a  father  in  the  state  of 
Illinois,  who  had  a  child  who  had  been  deaf  and  dumb 
from  her  birth.     It  was  a  sad  day  in  that  home  when 
they  came  to  realize  that  that  little  child  was  deaf  and 
would  never  hear  and,  as  they  thought,  would  never 
speak.     The  father  heard  of  an  institution  in  Jackson- 
ville, 111.,  where  deaf  children  were  taught  to  talk.     He 
took  this  little   child  to  the  institution  and  put  her  in 
charge   of  the    superintendent.     After   the  child  had 
been  there  some  time,  the  superintendent  wrote  telling 
the  father  that  he  would  better  come  and  visit  his  child. 
A  day  was  appointed  and  the  child  was  told  that  her 
father  was  coming.     As  the  hour  approached,  she  sat 
up  in  the  window,  watching  the  gate  for  her  father  to 
pass  through.     The  moment  he  entered  the  gate  she 
saw  him,  ran  down  the  stairs  and  ran  out  on  the  lawn, 
met  him,  looked  up  into  his   face  and  lifted  up  her 
hands  and  said,  "  Papa."     When  that  father  heard  the 
dumb  lips  of  his  child  speak  for  the  first  time  and  frame 
that  sweet  word  "  Papa,"  such  a  throb  of  joy  passed 
through  his  heart  that  he  literally  fell  to  the  ground  and 
rolled  upon  the  grass  in  ecstasy.     But  there  is  a  Father 
who  loves  as  no  earthly  father,  who  longs  to  have  His 
children  realize  that  they   are  children,  and  when  we 


HO  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

look  up  into  Hit  face  and  from  a  heart  which  the  Holy 
Spirit  ha»  filled  with  a  sense  of  sonship  call  Him 
"Abba"  (papa),  "Father,"  no  language  can  describe 
the  joy  of  God. 


r  i 


1.  ;; 
■■I  f 


•i« 


■f.L 


XVI 

The  Holy  Spirit  as  a  Teacher 

OUR  Lord  Jesus  in  His  last  conversation  with 
His  disciples  before  His  crucifixion  said, 
"  But  the  Comforter  which  is  the  Holy  Ghost, 
whom  the  Father  will  send  in  My  name,  He  shall  teach 
you  all  things,  and  bring  all  things  to  your  remem- 
brance, whatsoever  I  have  said  unto  you  "  Qohn  xiv. 

26). 

Here  we  have  a  twofold  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
teaching  and  bringing  to  remembrance  the  things  which 
Christ  had  already  taught.  We  will  take  them  in  the 
reverse  order. 

I.     The  Holy  Spirit  brings  to  retnembranet  the  words  of 

Christ. 

This  promise  was  made  primarily  to  the  Apostles  and 
is  the  guarantee  of  the  accuracy  of  their  report  of  what 
Jesus  said}  but  the  Holy  Spirit  does  a  similar  work 
with  each  believer  who  expects  it  of  Him,  and  who  looks 
to  Him  to  do  it.  The  Holy  Spirit  brings  to  our  mind 
the  teachings  of  Christ  and  of  the  Word  just  when  we 
need  them  for  .-ither  the  necessities  of  our  life  or  of 
our  service.  Many  of  us  could  tell  of  occasions  when 
we  were  in  great  distress  of  soul  or  great  questioning  as 
to  duty  or  great  extremity  as  to  what  to  say  to  onu 

141 


i  ! 

i  i 


IN 


it 


'  1 4 


ti 


142   The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

whom  we  were  trying  to  lead  to  Chriit  or  to  help,  and 
at  that  exact  moment  the  very  Scripture  we  needed— 
•ome  passage  it  may  be  we  had  not  though  of  for  a 
long   time  and   quite   likely   of  which  we  had  never 
thought    in   this  connection — was   brought   to   mind. 
Who  did  it  i     The  Holy  Spirit  did  it.     He  is  ready  to 
do  it  even  more  frequently,  if  we  only  expect  it  of  Him 
and   look  to  Him  to  do  it.     It  is  our  privilege  every 
time  we  sit  down  beside  an  inquirer  to  point  him  to  the 
way   of  life   to  look  up  to  the  Holy  Spirit  and  say, 
"  Just  what  shall  I  say  to  this  inquirer  ?     Just  what 
Scripture  shall  I  use?"     There  is  a  deep  significance 
in  the  fact  that  in  the  verse  immediately  following  this 
precious  promise  Jesus  says,     "  Peace  I  leave  with  you. 
My  peace  I  give  unto  you."     It  is  by  the  Spirit  bringing 
His  words  to  remembrance  and  teaching  us  the  truth 
of  God  that  we  obtain  and  abide  in  this  peace.     If  we 
will  simply  look  to  the   Holy  Spirit  to  bring  to  mind 
Scripture  just  when  we  need  it,  and  just  the  Scripture 
we   need,   we  shall  indeed  have  Christ's  peace  every 
moment   of  our   lives.     One  who  was  preparing  for 
Christian  work  came  to  me  in  great  distress.     He  said 
he    must   give   up    his    preparation    for    he    could  not 
memorize  the  Scriptures.     «  I  am  thirty-two  vcars  old," 
he  said,  "and  have  been  in  business  now  ftzr  years.     I 
have   gotten  out  of  the  habit  ir   -sau-    aiad  I  cannot 
memorize  anything."     The  wmm  ianpai  no  be  in  his 
Master's  service  ami   the  tea?*  stoor    n  bis  eyes  as  he 
said  it.     "Don't  oe  discrouii^mi,"  i  rcsjiica.     "Take 
your  Lord's  promise  ±at  the  Holy  immz  will  bring  His 
words  to  remcj^brancs,  -srs  ;^  ^sh^^c  sf  Scripture, 


if'^-'Vi-anmrwa 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  a  Teacher  143 

fix  it  firmly  in  your  mind,  then  another  and  then  an- 
other and  look  to  the  Holy  Spirit  to  bring  them  to  your 
remembrance  when  you  need  them."  He  went  on 
with  his  preparation.  He  trutted  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Afterwards  he  took  up  work  in  a  very  difficult  field,  a 
field  where  all  sorts  of  error  abounded.  They  would 
gather  around  him  on  the  street  like  bees  and  he  would 
take  his  Bible  and  trust  the  Holy  Spirit  to  bring  to  re- 
membrance the  passives  of  Scripture  that  he  needed  and 
He  did  it.  His  adversaries  were  filled  with  confusion, 
as  he  met  them  at  every  point  with  the  sure  Word  of 
God,  and  many  of  the  most  hardened  were  won  for 
Christ. 


11.     Tht  Holy  Spirit  will  ttach  us  all  things. 

There  is  a  still  more  explicit  promise  to  this  efFect 
two  chapters  further  on  in  John  xvi.  12,  13,  14,  R.  V. 
Here  Jesus  says,  "  I  have  yet  many  things  to  say  unto 
you,  but  ye  cannot  bear  them  now.  Kowbeit  when 
He,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  is  come.  He  shall  guide  you  into 
all  the  truth:  for  He  shall  not  speak  from  Himself} 
but  what  things  soever  He  shall  hear,  these  shall  He 
speak  :  and  He  shall  declare  unto  you  the  things  that 
are  to  come.  He  shall  glorify  Me :  for  He  shall  take 
of  Min",  and  shall  declare  it  unto  you."  This  promise 
was  m'»de  in  the  first  instance  to  the  Apostles,  but  the 
Apostles  themselves  applied  it  to  all  believers  (i  John 
ii.  20,  27). 

It  is  the  privilege  of  each  believer  in  Jesus  Christ, 
even  the  humblest,  to  be  "  taught  of  God."  Each 
humblest  believer  is  independent  of  humsn  teachers — 


iii; ! 


i  ;i 


i:'. 


»f  . 


if  ^ 


144  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

"  Ye  need  not  that  any  teach  you  "  (i  John  ii.  27, 
R.  v.).  This,  of  course,  does  not  mean  that  we  may  not 
learn  much  from  others  who  are  taught  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  If  John  had  thought  that  he  would  never  have 
written  this  epistle  to  teach  others.  The  man  who  is 
the  most  fully  taught  of  God  is  the  very  one  who  will 
be  most  ready  to  listen  to  what  God  has  taught  others. 
Much  less  does  it  mean  that  when  we  are  taught  of  the 
Spirit,  we  are  independent  of  the  written  Word  of  God  j 
for  the  Word  is  the  very  place  to  which  the  Spirit,  who 
is  the  Author  of  the  Word,  leads  His  pupils  and  the 
instrument  through  which  He  instructs  them  (Eph. 
vi.  17  ;  John  vi.  33  ;  Eph.  v.  18,  19  ;  cf.  Col.  iii.  16). 
But  while  we  may  learn  much  from  men,  we  are  not 
dependent  upon  them.  We  have  a  Divine  Teacher, 
the  Holy  Spirit. 

We  shall  never  truly  know  the  truth  until  we  are 
thus  taught  directly  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  No  amount  of 
mere  human  teaching,  no  matter  who  our  teachers  may 
be,  will  ever  give  us  a  correct  and  exact  and  full  ap- 
prehension of  the  truth.  Not  even  a  diligent  study  of 
the  Word  either  in  the  English  or  in  the  original  lan- 
guages will  give  us  a  real  understanding  of  the  truth. 
We  must  be  taught  directly  by  the  Holy  Spirit  and  we 
may  be  thus  taught,  each  one  of  us.  The  one  who  is  thus 
taught  will  understand  the  truth  of  God  better  even  if 
he  does  not  know  one  word  of  Greek  or  Hebrew,  than 
the  one  who  knows  Greek  and  Hebrew  thoroughly  and 
all  the  cognate  languages  as  well,  but  who  is  not  taught 
of  the  Spirit. 

The  Spirit  will  guide  the  one  whom  He  thus  teaches 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  a  Teacher         145 


**  into  all  the  truth."  The  whole  sphere  of  God's 
truth  is  for  each  one  of  us,  but  the  Holy  Spirit  will  not 
guide  us  into  all  the  truth  in  a  single  day,  nor  in  a 
week,  nor  in  a  year,  but  step  by  step.  There  are  two 
especial  lines  of  the  Spirit's  teaching  mentioned : 

(i)  **  He  shall  declare  unto  you  the  things  that  are 
to  come."  There  are  many  who  say  we  can  know 
nothing  of  the  future,  that  all  our  thoughts  on  that  sub- 
ject are  guesswork.  It  is  true  that  we  cannot  know 
everything  about  the  future.  There  are  some  things 
which  God  has  seen  fit  to  keep  to  Himself,  secret 
things  which  belong  to  Him  (Deut.  xxix.  29).  For 
example,  we  cannot  "  know  the  times,  or  the  seasons  " 
of  our  Lord's  return  (Acts  i.  7),  but  there  are  many 
things  about  the  future  which  the  Holy  Spirit  will 
reveal  to  us. 

(2)  «  He  shall  glorify  Me  (that  is,  Christ)  for  He 
shall  take  of  Mine  and  shall  declare  it  unto  you." 
This  is  the  Holy  Spirit's  especial  line  of  teaching  with 
the  believer,  as  with  the  unbeliever,  Jesus  Christ.  It 
is  His  work  above  all  else  to  reveal  Jesus  Christ  and 
to  glorify  Him.  His  whole  teaching  centres  in  Christ. 
From  one  point  of  view  or  the  other.  He  is  always  bring- 
ing us  to  Jesus  Christ.  There  are  some  who  fear  to  em- 
phasize the  truth  about  the  Holy  Spirit  lest  Christ  Him- 
self be  disparaged  and  put  in  the  background,  but  there 
is  no  one  who  magnifies  Christ  as  the  Holy  Spirit  does. 
We  shall  never  understand  Christ,  nor  see  His  glory 
until  the  Holy  Spirit  interprets  Him  to  us.  No 
amount  of  listening  to  sermons  and  lectures,  no  matter 
how  able,  no  amount  of  mere  study  of  the  Word  even, 


i 


146  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

would  ever  give  us  to  see  *^  the  things  of  Christ " ;  the 
Holy  Spirit  must  show  us  and  He  is  willing  to  do  it 
and  He  can  do  it.  He  is  longing  to  do  it.  The  Holy 
Spirit's  most  intense  desire  is  to  reveal  Jesus  Christ  to 
men.  On  the  day  of  Pentecost  when  Peter  and  the 
rest  of  the  company  were  "filled  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,"  they  did  not  talk  much  about  the  Holy  Spirit, 
they  talked  about  Christ.  Study  Peter's  sermon  on 
that  day  ;  Jesus  Christ  was  his  one  theme,  and  Jesus 
Christ  will  be  our  one  theme,  if  we  are  taught  of  the 
Spirit }  Jesus  Christ  will  occupy  the  whole  horizon  of 
our  vision.  We  will  have  a  new  Christ,  a  glorious 
Christ.  Christ  will  be  so  glorious  to  us  that  we  will 
long  to  go  and  tell  every  one  about  this  glorious  One 
whom  we  have  found.  Jesus  Christ  is  so  different 
when  the  Spirit  glorifies  Him  by  taking  of  His  things 
and  showing  them  unto  us. 


III.  The  Holy  Spirit  rtvtals  to  us  the  deep  things  of 
God  which  are  hidden  from  and  are  foolishness  to  the 
natural  man.  , 

We  read  in  i  Cor.  ii.  9-13,  "Eye  hath  not  seen, 
nor  ear  heard,  neither  have  entered  into  the  heart  of 
man,  the  things  which  God  hath  prepared  for  them 
that  love  Him.  But  God  hath  revealed  them  «  <  us 
by  His  Spirit :  for  the  Spirit  searcheth  all  things^  ye,,  the 
deep  things  of  God.  For  what  man  knoweth  the  things 
of  a  man,  save  the  spirit  of  man  which  is  in  him  ? 
Even  so  the  things  of  God  knoweth  no  man,  but  the 
Spirit  of  God.  Now  we  have  received,  not  the  spirit 
of  the  world,  but  the  spirit  which  is  of  God ;  that  we 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  a  Teacher         147 

might  know  the  things  that  are  freely  given  to  us  of 
God.    Which  things  also  we  speak,  not  in  the  words 
which  man's  wisdom  tcacheth,  but  which  the  Holy 
Ghost    teachethi     comparing    spiritual    things    with 
spiritual."     This  passage,  of  course,  refers  primarily 
to  the  Apostles  but  we  cannot  limit  this  work  of  the 
Spirit  to  them.    The  Spirit  reveals  to  the  individual 
believer  the  deep  things  of  God,  things  which  human 
eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  things  which  have 
not    entered    into    the    heart    of    man,    the    things 
which  God  hath  prepared  for  them  that  love  Him.     It 
is  evident  from  the  context  that  this  does  not  refer 
solely  to  heaven,  or  the  things  to  come  in  the  life 
hereafter.     The  Holy  Spirit  takes  the  deep  things  of 
God  which  God  hath  prepared  for  us,  even  in  the  life 
that  now  is,  and  reveals  them  to  us. 

IV.  Thi  Holy  Spirit  interprets  His  awn  revelation. 
He  imparts  power  to  discern^  know  and  appreciate  what 
He  has  taught. 

In  the  next  verse  to  those  just  quoted  we  read, 
**  But  the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the 
Spirit  of  God:  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him: 
neither  can  he  know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually 
discerned "  (i  Cor.  iii.  14).  Not  only  is  the  Holy 
Spirit  the  Author  of  revelation,  the  written  Word  of 
God :  He  is  also  the  Interpreter  of  what  He  has 
revealed.  Any  profound  book  is  immeasurably  more 
interesting  and  helpful  when  we  have  the  author  of  the 
book  right  at  hand  to  interpret  it  to  us,  and  it  is  always 
our  privilege  to  have  the  author  of  the  Bible  right  at 


M 


i  iJ 


■«  % 


I     I 


148   The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

hand  when  we  study  it.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  the 
Author  of  the  Bible  and  He  stands  ready  to  interpret 
its  meaning  to  every  believer  every  time  he  opens  the 
Book.  To  understand  the  Book,  we  must  look  to 
Him,  then  the  darkest  places  become  clear.  We  often 
need  to  pray  with  the  Psalmist  of  old,  "  Open  Thou 
mine  eyes,  that  I  may  behold  wondrous  things  out  of 
Thy  law  "  (Ps.  cxix.  18).  It  is  not  enough  that  we 
have  the  revelation  of  God  before  us  in  the  written 
Word  to  study,  we  must  also  have  the  inward  illumi- 
nation of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  enab!-r  us  to  apprehend  it 
as  we  study.  It  is  a  common  mistake,  but  a  most 
palpable  mistake,  to  try  to  comprehend  a  spiritual 
revelation  with  the  natural  understanding.  It  is  the 
foolish  attempt  to  do  this  that  has  landed  so  many  in 
the  bog  of  so-called  "  Higher  Criticism."  In  order  to 
understand  art  a  man  must  have  esthetic  sense  as  well 
as  the  knowledge  of  colon  and  of  paint,  and  a  man 
to  understand  a  spiritual  \\  lation  must  be  taught  of 
the  Spirit.  A  mere  knowledge  of  the  languages  in 
which  the  Bible  was  written  is  not  enough.  A  man 
with  no  aesthetic  sense  might  as  well  expect  to  appre- 
ciate the  Sistine  Madonna,  because  he  is  not  colour 
blind,  as  a  man  who  is  not  filled  with  the  Spirit  to 
understand  the  Bible,  simply  because  he  understands 
the  vocabulary  and  the  laws  of  grammar  of  the  lan- 
guages in  which  the  Bible  was  written.  We  might  as 
well  think  of  setting  a  man  to  teach  art  because  he  un- 
derstood, paints  as  to  set  a  man  to  teach  the  Bible  be- 
cause he  has  a  thorough  understanding  of  Greek  and 
Hebrew.     In  our  day  we  need  not  only  to  recognize 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  a  Teacher         149 

the  utter  insufficiency  and  worthlessncss  before  God  of 
our  own  righteousness,  which  is  the  lesson  of  the  open- 
ing chapters  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  but  also  the 
utter  insufficiency  and  worthlessncss  in  the  things  of 
God  of  our  own  wisdom,  which  is  the  lesson  of  the 
First  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  especially  the  first  to 
the  third  chapters.    (See  for  example  1  Cor.  i.  19-21, 

26,  27.) 

The  Jews  of  old  had  a  revelation  by  the  Spirit  but 
they  failed  to  depend  upon  the  Spirit  Himself  to  inter- 
pret it  to  them,  so  they  went  astray.     So  Christians 
to-day  have  a  revelation  by  the  Spirit  and  many  are 
failing  to  depend  upon  the  Holy  Spirit  to  interpret  it  to 
them  and  so  they  go  astray.    The  whole  evangelical 
church   recognizes  theoretically  at  least  the  utter  in- 
sufficiency of  man's  own  righteousness.     What  it  needs 
to  be  taught  in  the  present  hour,  and  what  it  needs  to 
be   made  to   feel,  is  the  utter  insufficiency  of  man's 
wisdom.    That    is    perhaps    the    lesson    which   this 
twentieth    century   of    towering    intellectual    conceit 
needs   most  of  any  to  learn.     To  understand  God's 
Word,  we  must  empty  ourselves  utterly  of  our  own 
wisdom  and  rest  in  utter  dependence  upon  the  Spirit  of 
God  to  interpret  it  to  us.     We  do  well  to  lay  to  heart 
the  words  of  Jesus  Himself  in  Matt.  xi.  25,  "  I  thank 
thee,   O   Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  because 
Thou  hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and  prudent, 
and  hast  revealed  them  unto  babes."     A  number  of 
Bible  students  were  once  discussing  the  best  methods 
of  Bible  study  and  one  man,  who  was  in  point  of  fact 
a  learned  and  scholarly  man,  said,  "  j.  think  thr  hast 


^i 


I  '  ■  i!i 


lil-ii 


150  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

method  of  Bible  «tu<ly  im  »h>  Kaky  7|ffh»^  "  When 
we  have  entirely  put  away  our  own  righteousness,  then 
and  only  then,  we  get  the  righteousness  of  God  (Phil, 
iii.  4-7,  9i  Rom.  x.  3).  And  when  we  have  en- 
tirely put  away  our  own  wisdom,  then,  and  only  then, 
we  get  the  wisdom  of  God.  '*  Let  no  man  deceive 
himself,"  says  the  Apostle  Paul.  **  If  any  man  among 
you  seemeth  to  be  wi.  in  this  world,  ///  bim  btcomt  a 
feol^  that  he  may  be  wi  (i  Cor.  iii.  18).  And  the 
emptying  must  precede  luling,  the  self  poured  out  that 
God  may  be  poured  in. 

We  must  daily  be  taught  by  the  Spirit  to  understand 
the  Word.  We  cannot  depend  to-day  on  the  fact  that 
the  Spirit  taught  us  yesterday.  Each  new  time  that 
we  come  in  contact  with  the  Word,  it  must  be  in  the 
power  of  the  Spirit  for  that  specific  occasion.  That 
the  Holy  Spirit  once  illumined  our  mind  to  grasp  a 
certain  truth  is  not  enough.  He  must  do  it  each  time 
we  confront  that  passage.  Andrew  Murray  has  well 
said,  **  Each  time  you  come  to  the  Word  in  study,  in 
hearing  a  sermon,  or  reading  a  religious  book,  there 
ought  to  be  as  distinct  as  your  intercourse  with  the 
external  means,  the  definite  act  of  self-abnegation, 
denying  your  own  wisdom  and  yielding  yourself  in 
faith  to  the  Divine  teacher  "  («  The  Spirit  of  Christ," 
page  221). 

V.  The  Holy  Spirit  enables  the  believer  to  communicatt 
to  others  in  power  the  truth  he  himself  has  been  taught. 

Paul  says  in  i  Cor.  ii.  1-5,  "  And  I,  brethren,  when 
I  came  to  you,  came  not  with  excellency  of  speech  or 


The  Holy  Spirit  as  a  Teacher         151 

of  wisdom,  declaring  unto  you  the  testimony  of  God. 
For  I  determined  not  to  know   anything  among  you, 
save  Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified.     And  I  was  with 
you  in  weaicness,  and  in  fear,  and  in  much  trembling. 
And  my  speech  and  my  preaching  was  not  with  enticing 
words  of  man's  wisdom,  but  in  demonstration  of  the 
Spirit  and  of  power :     That  your  faith  should  not  stand 
in  the  wisdom  of  men,  but  in  the  power  of  God."     In 
a  similar  way  in  writing  to  the  believers  in  Thessa- 
lonica  in  1  Thess.  i.  5,    "  For  our  Gospel  came  not 
unto  you  in  word  only,  but  also  in  power,  and  in  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  in  much  assurance ;  as  ye  know  what 
manner  of  men  we  were  among  you  for  your  sake." 
We  need  not  only  the  Holy  Spirit  to  reveal  the  truth  to 
chosen  apostles  and  prophets  in  the  first  place,  and  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  the  second  place  to  inteipiet  to  us  as 
individuals  the  truth  He  has  thus  revealed,  but  in  the 
third  place,  we  need  the  Holy  Spirit  to  enable  us  to 
effectually  communicate  to  others  the  truth  which  He 
Himself  has   interpreted   to   us.     We   need   Him  all 
along  the  line.     One  great  cause  of  real  failure  in  the 
ministry,  even  when  there  is  seeming  success,  and  not 
only  in  the  regular  ministry  but  in  sdl  forms  of  service 
as  well,  comes  from  the  attempt  to  teach  by  "  enticing 
words  of  man's  wisdom  "  (that  is,  by  the  arts  of  human 
logic,   rhetoric,   persuasion   and  eloquence)   what  the 
Holy  Spirit  has  taught  us.  What  is  needed  is  Holy  Ghost 
power,  "  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of  power." 
There  are  three  causes  of  failure  in  preaching  to-day. 
First,  Some  other  message  is  taught  than  the  message 
which  the  Holy  Spirit  has  revealed  in  the  Word.     (Men 


vn 


■til 
'I'' 


1  $2  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

preach  science,  art,  literature,  philosophy,  sociology, 
history,  economics,  experience,  etc.,  and  not  the  simple 

Word  of  God  as  found  in  the  Holy  Spirit's  Book, 

the  Bible.)  Second,  The  Spirit-uught  message  of  the 
Bible  is  studied  and  sought  to  be  apprehended  by  the 
natural  understanding,  that  is,  without  the  Spirit's  illumi- 
nation. How  common  that  is,  even  in  institutions 
where  men  are  being  trained  for  the  ministry,  even  in- 
stitutions which  may  be  altogether  orthodox.  Third, 
The  Spirit-given  message,  the  Word,  the  Bible 
studied  and  apprehended  under  the  Holy  Ghost's  illumi- 
nation is  given  out  to  others  with  "  enticing  words  of 
man's  wisdom,"  and  not  in  "  demonstration  of  the  Spirit 
and  of  power."  We  need,  and  we  are  absolutely  de- 
pendent upon  the  Spirit  all  along  the  line.  He  must 
teach  us  how  to  speak  as  well  as  what  to  speak.  His 
must  be  the  power  as  well  as  the  message. 


I  I 


XVII 

Praying.  Returning  Thanks,  Worshipping  in 
^    ^  the  Holy  Spirit 

TWO  of  the  most  deeply  significant  passages  in 
the  Bible  on  the  subject  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
and  on  the  subject  of  prayer  are  found  in 
Jude  20 and  Eph.  vi.  i8.  In  Jude  20 we  read,"  But  ye, 
beloved,  building  up  yourselves  on  your  most  holy  faith, 
fraying  in  the  Holy  Ghost,"  and  in  Eph.  vi.  18,"  Pray- 
ing always  with  all  prayer  and  supplication  in  tht  Sptrtt, 
and  watching  thereunto  with  all  perseverance  and  sup- 
plication for  all  saints." 

These  passages  teach  us  distinctly  that  tbt  Holy 
Spirit  guides  tht  btlitvtr  in  prayir.    The  disciples  did 
not  know  how  to  pray  as  they  ought  so  they  came  to 
Jesus  and  said,  «  Lord,  teach  us  to  pray  "  (Luke  xi.  1). 
We    to-day    do    not    know    how    to    pray    as    we 
ought— we  do  not  know  what  to  pray  for,  nor  how 
to  ask  for  it— but  there  is  One  who  is  always  at  hand 
to  help  (John  xiv.  16,  17)  and  He  knows  what  we 
should  pray  for.     He  helps  our  infirmity  in  this  matter 
of  prayer  as  in  other  matters  (Rom.  viii.  26,  R.  V.). 
He  teaches  us  to  pray.     True  prayer  is  prayer  in  the 
Spirit  it.  /.,  the  prayer  that  the  Holy  Spirit  inspires  and 
directs).    The  prayer  in  which  the  Holy  Spirit  leads 
us   is  the   prayer  "according  to   the   will  of  God" 

153 


¥, ' 


n 


i   i':.l- 


'<i  i''H 


154  The  Penon  and  Work  of  the  Hol]r  Spirit 

(Rom.  viii.  27).  When  we  uk  anything  accordinp;  to 
God's  will,  we  know  that  He  heart  us  and  we  know 
that  He  hat  granted  the  ihingt  that  we  ask  (i  John 
V.  14,  15).  We  may  know  it  it  ourt  at  the  moment 
when  we  pray  jutt  at  turely  at  we  know  it  afterwardt 
when  we  have  it  in  our  actual  pottettion.  But  how 
can  we  know  the  will  of  God  when  we  pray  i  In  two 
way  I :  First  of  all,  by  what  is  written  in  His  Word ; 
all  the  promises  in  the  Bible  are  sure  and  if  God 
promises  anything  in  the  Bible,  we  may  be  sui«  it  is 
His  will  to  give  us  that  thing;  but  there  are  many 
things  that  we  need  which  are  not  specifically  promised 
in  the  Word  and  still  even  in  that  case  it  is  our  privi- 
lege to  know  the  will  of  God,  for  it  is  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  teach  us  God's  will  and  lead  us  out  in 
prayer  along  the  line  of  God's  will.  Some  object  to 
the  Christian  doctrine  of  prayer ;  for  they  say  that  it 
teaches  that  we  can  go  to  God  in  our  ignorance  and 
change  His  will  and  subject  His  infinite  wisdom  to  our 
erring  foolishness.  But  that  is  not  the  Christian 
doctrine  of  prayer  at  all;  the  Christian  doctrine  of 
prayer  is  that  it  is  the  believer's  privilege  to  be  taught 
by  the  Spirit  of  God  Himself  to  know  what  the  will 
of  God  is  and  not  to  ask  for  the  things  that  our  foolish- 
ness would  prompt  us  to  ask  for  but  to  ask  for  things 
that  the  never-erring  Spirit  of  God  prompts  us  to  ask 
for.  True  prayer  is  prayer  "  in  the  Spirit,"  that  is, 
the  prayer  which  the  Spirit  inspires  and  directs.  When 
we  come  into  God's  presence,  we  should  recognize 
our  infirmity,  our  ignorance  of  what  is  best  for  us,  our 
ignorance  of  what  we  should  pray  for,  our  ignorance 


'JtaWfeHMiiiiii 


Praying,  Returning  Thanks  155 

of  how  we  should  pray  for  it  and  in  the  consciouineu  of 
our  utter   inability  to  pray  aright  look  up  to  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  teach  us  to  pray,  and  cast  ourselves  utterly 
upon   Him  to  direct  our  prayers  and  to  lead  out  our 
desires  and  guide  our  utterance  of  them.     There  is  no 
place  where  we  need  to  recognize  our  ignorance  more 
Chan  we  do  in  prayer.     Rushing  heedlessly  into  God's 
presence  and  asking  the  first  thing  that  comes  into  our 
minds,  or  that  some  other  thoughtless  one  asks  us  to 
pray  for,   is  not  praying  "  in  the  Holy  Spirit"  and  is 
not  true  prayer.    We  must  wait  for  the  Holy  Spirit 
and    surrender   ourselves    to    the  Holy  Spirit.    The 
prayer  that  God,  the  Holy  Spirit,  inspires  is  the  prayer 
that  God,  the  Father,  answers. 

The  longings  which  the  Holy  Spirit  begets  in  our 
hearts    are   often   too  deep   for  utterance,  too  deep 
apparently  for  clear  and  definite  comprehension  on  the 
part  of  the  believer  himself  in   whom  the  Spirit  is 
working— "The  Spirit   Himself  makcth  intercession 
for  us  with  groanings  which  cannot  bt  uttered "  (Rom. 
viii.    26,   R.  v.).     God  Himself  "  must   search   the 
heart "  to  know  what  is  "  the  mind  of  the  Spirit "  in  these 
unuttered   and   unutterable  longings.     But  God  does 
know  what  is  the  mind  of  the  Spirit;  He  does  know 
what  these  Spirit-given  longings  which  we  cannot  put 
into  words  mean,  even  if  we  do  not,  and  these  longings 
are  "  according  to  the  will  of  God,"  and  God  grants 
them.     It  is  in  this  way  that  it  comes  to  pass  that 
God  is  able  to  do  exceedingly  abundantly  above  all 
that   we   ask   or   think,  according  to  the  power  that 
workcth  in  us  (Eph.  iii.  20).     There  are  other  times 


156  The  Person  and  Work  of  tlK  Holy  Spirit 

when  the  Spirit's  leadings  are  so  clear  that  we  pray  with 
the  Spirit  and  with  the  undersunding  also  (i  Cot. 
xiv.  15).  We  distinctly  understand  what  it  is  that 
the  Holy  Spirit  leads  us  to  pray  for. 

II.     Tht   Htly  Spirit  inspires  the  ktliiver  ami  guides 
him  in  thanksgiving  as  well  as  in  prayer.     We  read  in 
Eph.  V.  18-20,  R.  v.,    "And  be  not  drunken  with 
wine,  wherein  is  riot,  but  be  filled  with  the  Spirit; 
•peaking  one   to  another  in  psalms  and  hymns  and 
spiritual  songs,  singing  and  making  melody  with  your 
heart  to  the  Lofd  ;  giving  thanks  always  for  all  things  in 
the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  God,  even  the 
Father."     Not  only  does  the  Holy  Spirit  teach  us  to 
pray.  He  also  teaches  us  to  render  thanks.     One  of  the 
most  prominent  characteristics  of  the  Spirit-filled  life  is 
thanksgiving.     On  the  Day  of  Pentecost,  when  the 
disciples  were  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  spoke  as 
the  Spirit  gave  them  utterance,  we  hear  them  telling 
the  wonderful  works  of  God   (Acts   ii.  4,  n),  and 
to-day  when  any  believer  is  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit, 
he  always  becomes  filled  with  thanksgiving  and  praise. 
True    thanksgiving   is   " /•   God,  even   the   Father," 
throughy  or  "  in  the  name  of"  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
in  the  Holy  Spirit. 

III.  The  Holy  Spirit  inspires  worship  on  the  part  of 
the  believer.  We  read  in  Phil.  iii.  3,  R.  V.,  «  For 
we  are  the  circumcision,  who  worship  by  the  Spirit  of 
Gody  and  gloty  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  have  no  confidence 
in  the  flesh."  Prayer  is  not  worship;  thanksgiving  is 
not  worship.  Worship  is  a  definite  act  of  the  creature 
in  relation  to  God.     Worship  is  bowing  before  God  in 


Praying,  Returning  Thanks  157 

adoring  acknowlet^ment  and  contemplation  of  Himielf 
and  the  perfection  of  Hit  being.    Some  one  has  taid 


In 


are  taken  up  with  our  needs }  in 


r  prayers,  ^ 

our  thanksgiving  we  are  uken  up  with  our  blessings  i 
in  our  worship,  we  are  taken  up  with  Himself." 
There  is  no  true  and  acceptable  worship  except  thtf 
which  the  Holy  Spirit  prompts  and  directs.  **  God  is 
a  Spirit  and  they  that  worship  Him  must  worship  Him 
in  Spirit  and  truth  ;  for  such  doth  the  Father  seek  to  be 
His  worshippers  "  Qohn  iv.  24,  23).  The  flesh  seeks 
to  intrude  into  every  sphere  of  life.  The  flesh  has  its 
worship  as  well  as  its  lusts.  The  worship  which  the 
flesh  prompts  is  an  abomination  unto  God.  In  this 
we  see  the  folly  of  any  attempt  at  a  congress  of  religions 
where  the  representatives  of  radically  different  religions 
attempt  to  worship  together. 

Not  all  earnest  and  honest  worship  is  worship  in  the 
Spirit.  A  man  may  be  very  honest  and  very  earnest 
in  his  worship  and  still  not  have  submitted  himself  to 
the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  matter  and  so 
his  worship  is  in  the  flesh.  Oftentimes  even  when 
there  is  great  loyalty  to  the  letter  of  the  Word,  worship 
may  not  be  "  in  the  Spirit,"  /.  /.,  inspired  and  directed 
by  Him.  To  worship  aright,  as  Paul  puts  it,  we  must 
have  "  no  confidence  in  the  flesh,"  that  is,  we  must 
recognize  the  utter  inability  of  the  flesh  (our  natural 
self  as  contrasted  to  the  Divine  Spirit  that  dwells  in 
and  should  mould  everything  in  the  believer)  to  worship 
acceptably.  And  we  must  also  realize  the  danger  that 
there  is  that  the  flesh  intrude  itself  into  our  worship. 
In  utter  self-distrust  and  self-abnegation  we  must  cast 


i 


k 

i' 


158  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

ourselves  upon  the  Holy  Spirit  to  lead  us  aright  in  our 
worship.  Just  as  we  must  renounce  any  merit  in 
ourselves  and  cast  ourselves  upon  Christ  and  His  work 
for  us  upon  the  cross  for  justification,  just  so  we  must 
renounce  any  supposed  capacity  for  good  in  ourselves 
and  cast  ourselves  utterly  upon  the  Holy  Spirit  and  His 
work  in  us,  in  holy  living,  knowing,  praying,  thanking 
and  worshipping  and  all  else  that  we  are  to  do. 


■.   .1.1 


pssR  '?¥: 


XVIII 

The  Holy  Spirit  Sending  Men  Forth  to  Definite 
Lines  of  Work 

WE  read  in  Acts  xiii.  2-4, "  As  they  ministered 
to  the  Lord,  and  fasted,/*/  Holy  GbtstiaiJj 
Separate  Me  Barnabas  and  Saul  for  the  work 
whereunto  I  have  called  thena.     And  when  they  had 
fasted  and  prayed,  and  laid  their  hands  on  them,  they 
sent  them  away.     So  they,  being  sent  forth  by  the  Holy 
Gbosty  departed  into  Seleucia  j  and  from  thence  they 
sailed  to  Cyprus."     It  is  evident  from  this  passage  that 
the  Holy  Spirit  calls  men  into  definite  lines  of  work  and 
sends  them  forth  into  the  work.     He  not  only  calls  men 
in  a  general  way  into  Christian  work,  but  selects  the 
specific  work  and  points  it  out.     Many  a  one  is  asking 
to-day,  and  many  another  ought  to  ask,  *»  Shall  I  go  to 
China,  to  Africa,  to  India  ? "    There  is  only  one 
Person  who  can  rightly  settle  that  question  for  you  and 
that  Person   is  the  Holy  Spirit.    You  cannot  settle  the 
question  for  yourself,  much  less  can  any  other  man 
settle  it  rightly  for  you.    Not  every  Christian  man  is 
called  to  go  to  China ;  not  every  Christian  man  is  called 
to  go  to  Africa  \  not  every  Christian  man  is  called  to 
go  to  the  foreign  field  at  all.     God  alone  knows  whether 
He  wishes  you  in  any  of  these  places,  but  He  is  willing 
to  show  you.     In  a  day  such  as  we  live  in,  when  there 
is  such  a  need  of  the  right  men  and  the  right  women 

IS9 


t!li 


Hi 


I'  I; 


160  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

6n  the  foreign  field,  every  young  and  healthy  and 
intellectually  competent  Christian  man  and  woman 
should  definitely  oflFer  themselves  to  God  for  the  foreign 
field  and  ask  Him  if  He  wants  them  to  go.  But  they 
ought  not  to  go  until  He,  by  His  Holy  Spirit,  makes  it 
plain. 

The  great  need  in  all  lines  of  Christian  work  to-day 
is  men  and  women  whom  the  Holy  Ghost  calls  and 
sends  forth.  We  have  plenty  of  men  and  women 
whom  men  have  called  and  sent  forth.  We  have  plenty 
of  men  and  women  who  have  called  themselves,  for 
there  are  many  to-day  who  object  strenuously  to  being 
sent  forth  by  men,  by  any  organization  of  any  kind, 
but,  in  fact,  are  what  is  immeasurably  worse,  sent  forth 
by  themselves  and  not  by  God. 

How  does  the  Holy  Spirit  calif  The  passage  before 
us  does  not  tell  us  how  the  Holy  Spirit  spoke  to  the 
group  of  prophets  and  teachers  in  Antioch,  telling  them 
to  separate  Barnabas  and  Saul  to  the  work  to  which  He 
had  called  them.  It  is  presumably  purposely  silent  on 
this  point.  Possibly  it  is  silent  on  this  point  lest  we 
should  think  that  the  Holy  Spirit  must  always  call  in 
precisely  the  same  way.  There  is  nothing  whatever  to 
indicate  that  He  spoke  by  an  audible  voice,  much  less 
is  there  anything  to  indicate  that  He  made  His  will 
known  in  any  of  the  fantastic  ways  in  which  some  in 
these  days  profess  to  discern  His  leading — ^as  for  ex- 
ample, by  twitchings  of  the  body,  by  shuddering,  by 
opening  of  the  Bible  at  random  and  putting  his  finger 
on  a  passage  that  may  be  construed  into  some  entirely 
different  meaning  than  that  which  the  inspired  author 


mm 


Definite  Lines  of  Work 


161 


intended  by  it.  The  important  point  is.  He  made 
His  will  dearly  known,  and  He  is  willing  to  make  His 
will  clearly  known  to  us  to-day.  Sometimes  He  makes 
it  known  in  one  way  and  sometimes  in  another,  but 
He  will  make  it  known. 

But  how  shall  vue  receive  the  Holy  Spirits  calif  First 
of  all,  by  desiring  it  \  second,  by  earnestly  seeking  it } 
third,  by  waiting  upon  the  Lord  for  it;  fourth, 
by  expecting  it.  The  record  reads,  "  As  they  minis' 
terei  to  the  Lord^  and  fasted."  They  were  waiting  upon 
the  Lord  for  His  direction.  For  the  time  being  they 
had  turned  their  back  utterly  upon  worldly  cares  and 
enjoyments,  even  upon  those  things  which  were  per- 
fectly proper  in  their  place.  Many  a  man  is  saying 
to-day  in  justification  for  his  staying  home  from  the 
foreign  field,  "  I  have  never  had  a  call."  But  how 
do  you  know  that  ?  Have  you  been  listening  for  a 
call  ?  God  usually  speaks  in  a  still  small  voice  and  it 
is  only  the  listening  ear  that  can  catch  it.  Have  you 
ever  definitely  offered  yourself  to  God  to  send  you 
where  He  will  ?  While  no  man  or  woman  ought  to  go 
to  China  or  Africa  or  other  foreign  field  unless  they  are 
clearly  and  definitely  called,  they  ought  each  to  oflFer 
themselves  to  God  for  this  work  and  be  ready  for  the 
call  and  be  listening  sharply  that  they  may  hear  the  call 
if  it  comes.  Let  it  be  borne  distinctly  in  mind  that  a 
man  needs  no  more  definite  call  to  Africa  than  to  Bosr 
ton,  or  New  York,  or  London,  or  any  other  desirable 
field  at  home. 

The  Holy  Spirit  not  only  calls  men  and  sends  them 
forth  into  definite  lines  of  work,  but  He  also  guidts  in 


m 


: 


I' s 


162   The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

tbt  details  of  daily  life  and  service  as  to  where  to  go  and 
where  not  to  go.  what  to  do  and  what  not  to  do.  We  read 
in  Acts  viii.  27-29,  R.  V.,  "  And  he  (Philip)  arose  and 
went :  and  behold,  a  man  of  Ethiopia,  a  eunuch  of  great 
authority  under  Candace,  queen  of  the  Ethiopians,  who 
was  over  all  her  treasure,  who  had  come  to  Jerusalem  for 
to  worship ;  and  he  was  returning  and  sitting  in  his 
chariot,  and  was  reading  the  prophet  Isaiah.  And  the 
Spirit  said  unto  Philip,  Go  near,  and  join  thyself  to  this 
chariot."  Here  we  see  the  Spirit  guiding  Philip  in  the 
details  of  service  into  which  He  had  called  him.  In  a 
similar  way,  we  read  in  Acts  xvi.  6,  7,  R.  V., "  And  they 
went  through  the  region  of  Phrygia  and  Galatia,  having 
been  forbidden  of  the  Holy  Ghost  to  speak  the  word  in  Asia  ; 
and  when  they  were  come  over  against  Mysia,  they  as- 
sayed to  go  into  Bithynia  ;  and  the  Spirit  of  Jesus  suffered 
them  not"  Here  we  see  the  Holy  Spirit  directing  Paul 
where  not  to  go.  It  is  possible  for  us  to  have  the  un- 
erring guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit  at  ;very  turn  of  life. 
Take,  for  example,  our  personal  work.  It  is  manifestly 
not  God's  intention  that  we  speak  to  every  one  we  meet. 
To  attempt  to  do  so  would  be  to  attempt  the  impossible, 
and  we  would  waste  much  time  in  trying  to  speak  to 
people  where  we  could  do  no  good  that  might  be  used 
in  speaking  to  people  where  we  could  accomplish  some- 
thing. There  are  some  to  whom  it  would  be  wise  for 
us  to  speak.  There  are  others  to  whom  it  would  be 
unwise  for  us  to  speak.  Time  spent  on  them  would 
be  taken  from  work  that  would  be  more  to  God's 
glory.  Doubtless  as  Philip  journeyed  towards  Gaza, 
he  met  many  before  he  met  the  one  of  whom  the  Spirit 


1^ 


wmmn 


Definite  Lines  of  Work 


163 


said,  "  Go  near,  and  join  thyself  to  this  chariot."     The 
Spirit   is  as  ready  to  guide  us  as    He  was  to  guide 
Philip.      Some    years    ago,    a    Christian    worker    in 
Toronto   had  the   impression   that   he   should  go  to 
the    hospital    and    speak    to    some    one    there.     He 
thought  to  himself,  "  Whom  do  I  know  at  the  hos- 
piul    at  this  time  ? "     There  came  to  his  mind  one 
whom  he  knew  was  at  the  hospital,  and  he  hurried  to 
the  hospital,  but  as  he  sat  down  by  his  side  to  talk  with 
him,  he  realized  it  was  not  for  this  man  that  he  was 
sent.     He  got  up  to  lift  a  window.     What  did  it  all 
mean  ?     There  was  another  man  lying  across  the  pas- 
sage from  the  man  he  knew  and  the  thought  came  to 
him  that  this  might  be  the  man  to  whom  he  should 
speak.     And  he  turned  and  spoke  to  this  man  and  had 
the  privilege  of  leading  him  to  Christ.     There  was  ap- 
parently nothing  serious  in  the  man's  case.     He  had 
suffered   some   injury   to  his  knee  and  there  was  no 
thought  of  a  serious  issue,  but  that  man  passed  into  eter- 
nity that  night.     Many  instances  of  a  similar  character 
could  be  recorded  and  prove  from  experience  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  as  ready  to  guide  those  who  seek  His 
guidance  to-day  as  He  was  to  guide  the  early  disciples. 
But  He  is  ready  to  guide  us,  not  only  in  our  more  def- 
inite forms  of  Christian  work  but  in  all  the  affairs  of 
life,  business,  study,  everything  we  have  to  do.     There 
is  no  promise  in  the  Bible,  more  plainly  explicit  than 
James  i.  5-7,  R.  V.,  "  But  if  any  of  you  lack  wisdom, 
let  him  ask  of  God,  who  giveth  to  all  liberally  and  up- 
braideth  not  -,  and  it  shall  be  given  him.     But  let  him 
ask  in  faith,  nothing  doubting  :  for  he  that  doubteth  is 


r        i 
t 


riV 


1 


164  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

like  the  tuige  of  the  tea  driven  by  the  wind  and  tossed. 
For  let  not  that  man  think  that  he  shall  receive  any- 
thing of  the  Lord."  This  passage  not  only  promises 
God's  wisdom  but  tells  us  specifically  just  what  to  do 
to  obtain  it.  There  are  really  five  steps  stated  or  im- 
plied in  the  passage : 

1.  That  we  **lack  wisdom."  We  must  be  con- 
scious of  and  fully  admit  our  own  inability  to  decide 
wisely.  Here  is  where  oftentimes  we  fail  to  receive 
God's  wisdom  We  think  we  are  able  to  decide  for 
ourselves  or  at  least  we  are  not  ready  to  admit  our 
own  utter  inability  to  decide.  There  must  be  an  entire 
renunciation  of  the  wisdom  of  the  flesh. 

2.  ^e  must  really  desire  to  know  God's  way  and  be  will- 
ing at  any  cost  to  do  God's  will.  This  is  implied  in  the  word 
"  ask."  The  asking  must  be  sincere,  and  if  we  are  not 
willing  to  do  God's  will,  whatever  it  may  be,  at  any  cost, 
the  asking  is  not  sincere.  This  is  a  point  of  fundamental 
importance.  There  is  nothing  that  goes  so  far  to  make 
our  minds  clear  in  the  discernment  of  the  will  of  God 
as  revealed  by  His  Spirit  as  an  absolutely  surrendered 
will.  Here  we  find  the  reason  why  men  oftentimes  do 
not  know  God's  will  and  have  the  Spirit's  guidance. 
They  arc  not  willing  to  do  whatever  the  Spirit  leads  at 
any  cost.  It  is  he  that  ^^willeth  to  do  His  will  "  who 
shall  know,  not  only  of  the  doctrine,  but  he  shall  know 
his  daily  duty.  Men  oftentimes  come  to  me  and  say, 
"  I  cannot  find  out  the  will  of  God,"  but  when  I  put 
to  them  the  question,  "  Are  you  willing  to  do  the 
will  of  God  at  any  cost  r  "  they  ^dmit  that  they  are  not. 
The  way  that  is  very  obscure  when  we  hold  back  from 


,8 

■'I 


Definite  Lines  of  Work 


i6j 


an  abwlutc  surrender  to  God  becomei  as  clear  as  day 
when  we  make  that  surrender. 

3.  fFt  must  dtfinitely  "  ask  "  guidance.  It  is  not 
enough  to  desire  i  it  is  not  enough  to  be  willing  to  obey  j 
we  must  ask^  definitely  ask,  God  to  show  us  the  way. 

4.  tVimustconfidtntlyixptctgutdanci.  "Let  him  ask 
in  faith  nothing  doubting."  There  are  many  and  many 
who  cannot  find  the  way,  though  they  ask  God  to  show 
it  to  them,  simply  because  they  have  not  the  absolutely 
undoubting  expectation  that  God  will  show  them  the 
way.  God  promises  to  show  it  if  we  expect  it  con- 
fidently. When  you  come  to  God  in  prayer  to  show 
you  what  to  do,  know  for  a  certainty  that  He  will  show 
you.  In  what  way  He  will  show  you.  He  does  not 
tell,  but  He  promises  that  He  will  show  you  and  that  is 

enough. 

5.     JVt  must  follow  step  by  step  as  the  guidance  ernes. 
As  said  before,  just  how  it  will  come,  no  one  can  tell, 
but  it  will  come.     Oftentimes  only  a  st-p  will  be  made 
clear  at  a  time;  that  is  all  we  need  to  know— the  next 
step.     Many  are  in  darkness  because  they  do  not  know 
and  cannot  find  what  God  would  have  them  do  next 
week,  or  next  month  or  next  year.     A  college  man 
once  came  to  me  and  told  me  that  he  was  in  great 
darkness  about  God's  guidance,  that  he  had  been  seek- 
ing to  find  the  will  of  God  and  learn  what  his  life's  work 
should  be,  but  he  could  not  find  it.     I  asked  him  how 
far  along  he  was  in  his  college  course.     He  said  his 
sophomore  year.     I  asked,  "  What  is  it  you  desire  to 
know  ? "     "  What  I  shall  do  when  I  finish  college." 
**  Do  you  know  that  you  ought  to  go  through  college  ?  " 


ri 


166  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

"  Yes."  This  man  not  only  knew  what  he  ought  to 
do  next  year  but  the  year  after  but  still  he  was  in  great 
perplexity  because  he  did  not  know  what  he  ought  to 
do  when  these  two  years  were  ended.  God  delights  to 
lead  His  children  a  step  at  a  time.  He  leads  us  as  He 
led  the  children  of  Israel.  "  And  when  the  cloud  was 
taken  up  from  the  tabernacle,  then  after  that  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  journeyed :  and  in  the  place  where  the 
cloud  abode,  there  the  children  of  Israel  pitched  their 
tents.  At  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  the  children 
of  Israel  journeyed,  and  at  the  commandment  of  the 
Lord  they  pitched :  as  long  as  the  cloud  abode  upon 
the  tabernacle  they  rested  in  their  tents.  And  when 
the  cloud  tarried  long  upon  the  tabernacle  many  days, 
then  the  children  of  Israel  kept  the  charge  of  the  Lord, 
and  journeyed  not.  And  so  it  was,  when  the  cloud  was 
a  few  days  upon  the  tabernacle ;  according  to  the  com- 
mandment of  the  Lord  they  journeyed.  And  so  it 
was,  when  the  cloud  abode  from  even  unto  the  morn- 
ing, and  that  the  cloud  was  taken  up  in  the  morning 
then  they  journeyed  :  whether  it  was  by  day  or  by  night 
that  the  cloud  was  taken  up,  they  journeyed.  Or 
whether  it  were  two  days,  or  a  month,  or  a  year,  that 
the  cloud  tarried  upon  the  tabernacle,  remaining  thereon, 
the  children  of  Israel  abode  in  their  tents,  and  journeyed 
not :  but  when  it  was  taken  up,  they  journeyed.  At 
the  commandment  of  the  Lord  they  rested  in  the  tents, 
and  at  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  they  journeyed  : 
they  kept  the  charge  of  the  Lord,  at  the  commandment 
of  the  Lord  by  the  hand  of  Moses  "  (Num.  ix.  17-23). 
Many  who  have  given  themselves  up  to  the  leading 


M 


i.i  n 


Definite  Lines  of  Work 


167 


of  the  Holy  Spirit  get  into  a  place  of  great  bondage  and 
are  tortured  because  they  have  leadings  which  they  fear 
may  be  from  God  but  of  which  they  are  not  sure.     If 
they  do  not  obey  these  leadings,  they  are  fearful  they 
have  disobeyed   God  and  sometimes  fancy  that  they 
have  grieved  away  the  Holy  Spirit,  because  they  did  not 
follow  His  leading.     This  is  all  unnecessary.     Let  us 
settle  it  in  our  minds  that  God's  guidance  is  clear  guid- 
ance.    "God  is  light,  and  in  Him  is  no  darkness  at 
all"  (1  John  i.  5).     And  any  leading  that  is  not  per- 
fectly clear  is  not  from  Him.    That  is,  if  our  wills  are 
absolutely    surrendered    to    Him.      Of   course,  the 
obscurity  may  arise  from  an  unsurrendered  will.     But 
if  our  wills  are  absolutely  surrendered  to  God,  we  have 
the  right  as  God's  children  to  be  sure  that  any  guidance 
is  from  Him  before  we  obey  it.     We  have  a  right  to  go 
to  our  Father  and  say,  "  Heavenly  Father,  here  I  am. 
I  desire  above  all  things  to  do  Thy  will.     Now  make 
it  dear  to  me.  Thy  child.     If  this  thing  that  I  have  a 
leading  to  do  is  Thy  will,  I  will  do  it,  but  make  it  clear 
as  day  if  it  be  Thy  will."    If  it  is   His  will,  the 
heavenly  Father  will  make  it  as  clear  as  day.     And 
you  need  not,  and  ought  not  to  do  that  thing  until  He 
does  make  it  clear,  and  you  need  not  and  ought  not  to 
condemn  yourself  because  you  did  not  do  it.     God  does 
not  want  His  children  to  be  in  a  state  of  condemnation 
before  Him.     He  wishes  us  to  be  free  from  all  care, 
worry,  anxiety   and  self-condemnation.     Any  earthly 
parent  would  make  the  way  clear  to  his  child  that  asked 
to  know  it  and  much  more  will  our  heavenly  Father 
make  it  clear  to  us,  and  until  He  does  make  it  clear, 


n 


til 


168  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

we  need  have  no  fear  chat  in  not  doing  it,  we  afe  dis- 
obeying God.  We  have  no  right  to  dictate  to  God 
hm  He  shall  give  His  guidance— as,  for  example,  b/ 
asking  Him  to  shut  up  every  way,  or  by  asking  Him  to 
give  a  sign,  or  by  guiding  us  in  putting  our  finger  on  a 
text,  or  in  any  other  way.  It  is  ours  to  seek  and  to  ex- 
pect wisdom  but  it  is  not  ours  to  dictate  how  it  shall  be 
given.  The  Holy  Spirit  divides  to  **each  man 
severally  as  Hi  will"  (i  Cor.  xii.  11). 

Two  things  are  evident  from  what  hw  be«.£i  said 
about  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  First,  how  utterly 
dependent  we  are  upon  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  at 
every  turn  of  Christian  life  and  service.  Second,  how 
perfect  is  the  provision  for  life  and  service  that  God 
has  made.  How  wonderful  is  the  fullness  of  privily 
that  is  open  to  the  humblest  believer  through  the  Holy 
Spirit's  work.  |t  is  not  so  much  what  we  are  by  nature, 
either  intellectually,  morally,  physically,  or  even  spirit- 
ually, that  is  important.  The  important  matter  is,  what 
the  Holy  Spirit  can  do  for  us  and  what  we  will  let  Him 
do.  Not  infrequently,  the  Holy  Spirit  takes  the  one 
who  seems  to  give  the  least  natural  promise  and  uses 
him  far  beyond  those  who  give  the  greatest  natural 
promise.  Christian  life  is  not  to  be  lived  in  the  realm 
of  natural  temperament,  and  Christian  work  is  not  to 
be  done  in  the  power  of  natural  endowment,  but  Chris- 
tian life  is  to  be  lived  in  the  realm  of  the  Spirit,  and 
Christian  work  is  to  be  done  on  the  power  of  the  Spirit. 
The  Holy  Spirit  is  willing  and  eagerly  desirous  of 
doing  for  each  one  of  us  His  whole  work,  and  He  will 
do  in  each  one  of  us  all  that  we  .will  let  Him  do. 


I  If  1  • 

.1.11  : 


XIX 

The  Holy  Spirit  and  the  Believer's  Body 

THE  Holy  Spirit  does  a  work  for  our  bodies  u 
well  M  for  our  minds  and  hearts.  We  read 
in  Rom.  viii.  ii,  R.  V., »»  But  if  the  Spirit  of 
Him  that  raised  up  Jesus  from  the  dead  dwelleth  in  you. 
He  that  raised  up  Christ  Jesus  from  the  dead  shall 
fuicktn  aisi  ytur  mortal  Mies  through  His  Spirit  that 
dwelleth  in  you." 

Tht  Holy  Spirit  quicktns  thi  mortal  body  tftht  heUivtr. 
It  is  very  evident  from  the  context  that  this  refers  to 
the  future  resurrection  of  the  body  (vs.  21-23).  The 
resurrection  of  the  body  is  the  Holy  Spirit's  work. 
The  glorified  body  is  from  Him ;  it  is  "  a  spiritual  body." 
At  the  present  time,  we  have  only  the  first  fruits  of  the 
Spirit  and  are  waiting  for  the  full  harvest,  the  redemp- 
tion of  our  body  (v.  23). 

There  is,  however,  a  sense  in  which  the  Holy  Spirit 
even  now  quickens  our  bodies.  Jesus  tells  us  in  Matt, 
xii.  28  that  He  cast  out  devils  by  the  Spirit  of  God. 
And  we  read  in  Aces  x.  38,  "  How  God  anointed  Jesus 
of  Nazareth  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  with  power,  who 
went  about  doing  good  and  healing  all  that  were  op- 
pressed of  the  devil."  In  James  v.  14,  the  Apostle 
writes,  "  Is  any  sick  among  you  ?  Let  him  call  for 
the  elders  of  the  church  j  and  let  them  pray  over 
him,   anmnting   him  with   oil   in   the    name   of   the 

169 


170  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

Lord."    The  oil    in    this  puuge  (as  elsewhere)  is 
the  type  of  the   Holy  Spirit,  and  the  truth  is  set 
forth  that  the  healing  is  the  Holy  Spirit's  work.    God 
by  His  Holy  Spirit  does  impart  new  health  and  vigour 
to  these  mortal  bodies  in  the  present  life.    To  go  to 
the  extremes  that  many  do  and  take  the  ground  that 
the  believer  who  is  walking  in  fellowship  with  Christ 
need  never  be  ill  is  to  go  farther  than  the  Bible  war- 
rants us  in  going.     It  is  true  that  the  redemption  c,{ 
our  bodies  is  secured  by  the  atoning  work  of  Ch  s 
but  until  the  Lord  comes,  we  only  enjoy  the  first  fr  ^ts 
of  that  redemption;   and  we  are  waiting  and  soic- 
times  groaning  for  our  full  place  as  sons  manifested  w 
the    redemption   of  our  body  (Rom.  viii.  23).     But 
while  this  is  true,  it  is  the  clear  teaching  of  Scripture 
«nd  a  matter  of  personal  experience  on  the  part  of 
thousands  that  the  life  of  the  Holy  Spirit  does  sweep 
through  these  bodies  of  ours  in  moments  of  weakness 
and  of  pain  and  sickness,  imparting  new  health  to 
them,  delivering    from    pain   and  filling  them  with 
abounding  life.     It  is  our  privilege  to  know  the  quick- 
ening touch  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  these  bodies  as  well 
as  in  our  minds  and  afFections  and  will.    It  would  be 
a  great  day  for  the  Church  and  for  the  glory  of  Jesus 
Christ,  if  Christians  would  renounce  forever  all  the 
devil's  counterfeits  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  work,  Christian 
Science,  Mental  Healing,  Emmanuclism,   Hypnotism 
and  the  various  other  forms  of  occultism  and  depend 
upon  God  by  the  power  of  His  Holy  Spirit  to  work 
that  in  these  bodies  of  ours  which  He  in  His  unerring 
wisdom  sees  that  wc  most  need. 


XX 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit 


O 


NE  of  the  most  deeply  significant  phrases  used 
in  connection  with  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the 
Scriptures  it  *^  baptized  with  the  Holy 
'host."  John  the  Baptist  was  the  Brst  to  use  this 
j^hrase.  In  speaking  of  himself  and  the  coming  One 
'.e  said,  "  I  indeed  baptize  you  with  water  unto  re- 
pentance :  but  He  that  cometh  after  me  is  mightier  than 
I,  whose  shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to  bear :  Ht  shall  hap- 
tixi  ytu  with  tht  Holy  Ghost  and  with  fire  "  (M«tt. 
iii.  1 1).  The  second  ^  with  "  in  this  passi^  irin 
italics.  It  is  not  found  in  the  Greek.  There  are  not 
two  different  baptisms  spoken  of,  the  one  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  one  with  fire,  but  one  baptism  with 
the  Holy  Wind  and  Fire.  Jesus  afterwards  used  the 
same  expression.  In  Acts  i.  5,  He  says,  **  For  John 
truly  baptized  with  water}  but  ye  shall  be  haptixti 
with  tht  Holy  Ghost  not  many  days  hence."  When 
this  promise  of  John  the  Baptist  and  of  our  Lord  was 
fulfill  \  in  Acts  ii.  3,  4,  R.  V.,  we  read,  "  And  there 
appe&  A  unto  them  tongues  parting  asunder,  like  as  of 
fire ;  and  it  sat  upon  each  one  of  them.  And  they 
were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit."  Here  we  have 
another  expression  ^^  filled  wtth  the  Holy  Spirit "  used 
synonymously  with  ^'  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit." 

X71 


:!' 


II 


y  I:  '' 


III; 


IM'^ 


172  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

Wr  read  again  in  Act»  x.  iU-4.6, « While  Peter  yet 
spaice  these  words,  tht  Holy  GhtstftU  $n  all  them  which 
heard  the  word.     And  they  of  the  circumcision  which 
believed  were  astonished,  as  many  as  came  with  Peter, 
because  that  on  the  Gentiles  also  was  pmred  out  the  gift 
of  tht  Hofy  Ghost.     For  tbey  heard  them  speak  with 
tongues,  and  magnify  God."     Peter  himself  afterwards 
describing  this  experience  in  Jerusalem  tells  the  story 
in  this  way,  "  And  as  I  began  to  speak,  tht  Holy  Ghost 
ftll  on  them,  as  on  us  at  the  beginning.     Then  remem- 
bered I  the  word  of  the  Lord,  how  that  He  said,  John 
indeed  baptized  with  water;  but  yt  shall  be  baptixtd 
with  tht  Holy  Ghost.     Forasmuch  then  as  God  govt 
them  the  like  gifi  as  He  did  unto  us  who  believed  on  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  what  was  I,  that  I  could  withstand 
God  ?"  (Acts  xi.  15-17).     Here  Peter  distinctly  calls 
the  experience  which,  came  to  Cornelius  and  his  house- 
hold, being  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  so  we  see 
that  the  expression  « the  Holy  Ghost  fell "  and  "  the 
gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost "  are  practically  synonymous 
expressions   with  "baptized  with  the   Holy  Ghost." 
Still  other  expressions  are  used  to  describe  this  bless- 
ing, such  as  "receive  the  Holy  Ghost "  (Acts  ii.  38; 
xix.  2-6)  i  "  the  Holy  Ghost  came  on  them  "  (Acts 
xix.  2-6);   "gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost "(Hcb.   ii.  4; 
I   Cor.  xii.  4,  n,  13);  "I  send  the  promise  of  My 
Father  upon  you ;  "  and  "  endued  with  power  from  on 
high  "  (Luke  xxiv.  49). 

IVhat  is  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  f 
In  the  first  place  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  is  a 
dtSnitt  experience  of  which  one  may  and  ought  to  kntw 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     173 

wbetbir  bt  bas  rtetivtd  it  «r  rut.  This  is  evident  from 
our  Lord's  command  to  His  disciples  in  Luke  xxiv.  49 
and  in  Acts  i.  4,  that  they  should  not  depart  from  Jerusa- 
lem to  undertake  the  work  which  He  had  commis- 
sioned them  to  do  until  they  had  received  this  promise 
of  the  Father.  It  is  also  evident  from  the  eighth  chap- 
ter of  ActSf  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  verses,  where  we 
are  distinctly  told,  **  tht  Holy  Spirit  bad  not  at  yttfalUn 
upon  any  of  tbem."  It  is  evident  also  from  the  nine- 
teenth chapter  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  the  second 
verse,  R.  V.,  where  Paul  put  to  the  little  group  of  dis- 
ciples at  Ephesus  the  definite  question,  ^*  Did  ye  re- 
ceive the  Holy  Ghost  when  ye  believed  ? "  It  is  evi- 
dent that  the  receiving  of  the  Holy  Ghost  was  an  ex- 
perience so  definite  that  one  could  answer  yes  or  no  to 
the  question  whether  they  had  received  the  Holy  Spirit. 
In  this  case  the  disciples  definitely  answered,  **  No," 
that  they  did  not  so  much  as  hear  whether  the  Holy 
Ghost  was  given.  They  did  not  say  what  our  Author- 
ized Version  maket'  them  say,  that  they  did  not  so 
much  as  hear  whether  there  was  any  Holy  Ghost. 
They  knew  that  there  was  a  Holy  Ghost }  they  knew 
furthermore  that  there  was  a  definite  promise  of  the 
baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  but  they  had  not  heard 
that  that  promise  had  been  as  yet  fulfilled.  Paul  told 
them  that  it  had  and  took  steps  whereby  they  were 
definitely  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  before  that  meet' 
ing  closed.  It  is  equally  evident  from  Gal.  iii.  2  that 
the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  is  a  definite  experience 
of  which  one  may  know  whether  he  has  received  it  or 
not.    In  this  passage  Paul  says  to  the  believers  in 


I 


Si 

i  »■ 

I' 


I    '   ) 
"I 


174  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

Galatiit,  "  This  only  would  I  learn  of  you,  Received 
ye  the  Spirit  by  the  works  of  the  law,  or  by  the  hearing 
of  faith  ? "    Their  receiving  the  Spirit  had  been  so 
definite  as  a  matter  of  personal  consciousness,  that  Paul 
could  appeal  to  it  as  a  ground  for  his  argument.     In 
our  day  there  is  much  tallc  about  the  baptism  with  the 
Holy  Spirit  and  prayer  for  the  baptism  with  the  Spirit 
that  is  altogether  vague  and  indefinite.     Men  arise  in 
meeting  and  pray  that  they  may  be  baptized  with  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  if  you  should  go  afterwards  to  the  one 
wh,     ;  isred  the  prayer  and  put  to  him  the  question, 
«  Did  you  receive  what  you  asked  ?    Were  you  bap- 
tized with  the  Holy  Spirit? "  it  is  quite  likely  that  he 
would  hesitate  and  falter  and  say,  "  I  hope  so  " ;  but 
there  is  none  of  this  indefinitcness  in  the  Bible.     The 
Bible  is  clear  as  day  on  this,  as  on  every  other  point. 
It  sets  forth  an  experience  so  definite  and  so  real,  that 
one  may  know  whether  or  not  he  has  received  the  bap- 
tism with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  can  answer  yes  or  no  to 
the  question,  "  Have  you  received  the  Holy  Ghost  ?  " 
In  the  second  place  it  is  evident  that  the  baptism  with 
the  Holy  Spirit  is  an  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirli  distinct  from 
and  additional  to  His  regenerating  work.     This  is  evident 
from  Acts  i.  5,  "For  John  truly  baptized  with  water; 
but  ye  shall  he  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost  not  many  days 
hence.**    It  is  clear  then  that  the  disciples  had  not  as  yet 
been  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  they  were  to  be 
thus  baptized  not  many  days  hence.     But  the  men  to 
whom  Jesus  spoke  these  words  were  already  regenerate 
men.     They  had  been  so  pronounced  by  our  Lord  Him- 
self.    He  had  said  to  them  in  John  xv.  3,  "  Now  ye  are 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spins     175 

cUan  through  the  word  which  I  have  spoken  unto 
you."  But  what  does  clean  through  the  word  mean  ? 
I  Peter  i.  23  answers  the  question,  **  Being  born 
agaitiy  not  of  corruptible  seed,  but  of  incorruptible,  by 
the  wordo/Gody  which  liveth  and  abideth  forever."  A 
little  earlier  on  the  same  night  Jesus  had  said  to  them 
in  John  xiii.  10,  R.  V.,  *^  He  that  is  bathed  needeth 
not  save  to  wash  his  feet,  but  is  clean  every  whit :  and  ye 
are  clean  but  not  all."  The  Lord  Jesus  had  pronounced 
that  apostolic  company  clean — i.e^  regenerate  men — 
with  the  exception  of  the  one  who  never  was  a  regenerate 
man,  Judas  Iscariot  who  should  betray  Him  (see 
verse  1 1).  The  remaining  eleven  Jesus  Christ  had  pro- 
nounced r^enerate  men.  Yet  He  tells  these  same 
men  in  Acts  i.  5,  that  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit 
was  an  experience  that  they  h?!d  not  as  yet  realized, 
that  still  lay  in  the  future.  So  it  is  evident  that  it  is 
one  thing  to  be  born  again  by  the  Holy  Spirit  through 
the  Word  and  something  distinct  from  this  and 
additional  to  it  to  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 
The  same  thing  is  evident  from  Acts  viii.  12,  R.  V., 
compared  with  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  verses  of  the 
same  chapter.  In  the  twelfth  verse  we  read  that  a 
large  company  of  disciples  had  believed  the  preaching 
of  Philip  concerning  the  kingdom  of  God  and  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christy  and  "  had  been  baptized  into  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus"  (v.  16,  R.  V.).  Certainly  in 
this  company  of  baptized  believers  there  were  at  least 
some  regenerate  persons.  Whatever  the  true  form  of 
water  baptism  may  be,  they  undoubtedly  had  been 
baptized  by  the  true  form,  for  the  baptizing  had  been 


Hi  ^t. 


r  '      SI. 

I 

t 

J, 


-  u. 


M' 


'^  ' 


*  - 
'I 


176  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


done  by  a  Spirit-commissioned  man,  but  in  the  fifteendi 
and   sixteenth   verses  we  read,  "  When  they  (that  is 
Peter  and  John)  were  come  down,  they  prayed  for 
them,  that  they  might  receive  the  Holy  Ghost :  for  at 
yet  He  was  fallen  upon  none  of  them :  only  they  had 
been    baptized   into   the   name  of  the  Lord  Jesus." 
Baptized  believers  they  were ;  baptized  into  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  they  had  been  j  regenerate  men  some 
of  them  most  assuredly  were,  and  yet  not  one  of  them 
as  yet  had  received,  or  been  baptized  with,  the  Holy 
Ghost.     So  again,  it  is  evident  that  the  baptism  with 
the   Holy   Spirit   is   an  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
distinct  from  and  additional  to  His  regenerating  work. 
Ajnan  may  be  regenerated  by  the  Holy  Spirit  aod  Still 
not  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit.     In  regeneration, 
there  is  the  impartation  of  life  by  the  Spirit's  power, 
and  the  one  who  receives  it  is  saved :  in  the  baptism 
wjththejloly  Spirit,  there  is  the  impartation  of  power, 
an^  the  one  wlio  receives  it  is  fitted  for  service.     The 
baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  however,  may  take  place 
at  the  moment  of  regeneration.     It  did,  for  example, 
in  the  household  of  Cornelius.     We  read  in  Acts  x. 
43,  that  while  Peter  was  preaching,  he  came  to  the 
point  where  he  said  concerning  Jesus,  "  To  Him  bear 
all  the  prophets  witness,  that  through  His  name  whoso- 
ever believeth  in  Him  shall  receive  remission  of  sins," 
and  at  that  point  Cornelius  and  his  household  believed 
and  we  read  immediately, "  While  Peter  yet  spake  these 
words,  the  Holy   Ghost  fell  on  all  them  which  heard 
the  word.     And  they  of  the  circumcision  which  believed 
were  astonished,  as  many  as  came  with  Peter,  because 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     177 

that  on  the  Gentiles  also  was  poured  out  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Ghost."     The  moment  they  believed  the  testi- 
mony about  Jesus,  they  were  baptized  with  the  Holy 
Ghost,  even   before   they   were  baptized  with  water. 
Regeneration  and  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  took 
pT^eTpipctlcally  at  the  same  moment,  and  so  they  do 
in  many  an  experience  to-day.     It  would  seem  as  if  in 
a  normal  condition  of  the  church,  this  would  be  the 
usual  experience.     But  the  church  is  not  in  a  normal 
condition  to-day.     A  very  large  part  of  the  church 
is   in  the  place  where  the  believers  in  Samaria  were 
before   Peter  and  John   came  down,  and  where  the 
disciples  in  Ephesus  were  before  Paul  came  and  told 
them   of   their    larger    privilege — baptized   believers, 
baptized  into  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  baptized 
unto  repentance  and  remission   of  sins,  but   not  as 
yet  baptized    with    the   Holy   Ghost.     Nevertheless 
tht  baptism  with   tht  Holy  Spirit  is  the  birthright  of 
eoery    btlitvtr.     It    was    purchased    for    us    by    the 
atoning  death  of  Christ,  and   when  He  ascended  to 
the  right  hand  of  the  Father,  He  received  the  promise 
of  the  Father  and  shed  Him  forth  upon  the  church,  and 
if  any  one  to-day  has  not  the  baptism  with  the  Holy 
Spirit  as  a  personal  experience,  it  is  because  he  has  not 
claimed  his  birthright.     Potentially,  every  member  of 
the  body  of  Christ  is  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit 
(i  Cor.  xii.  i^,  "  For  in  one  Spirit,  u/«  were  a// baptized 
into  one  body,  whether  we  be  Jews  or  Gentiles,  whether 
we  be  bond  or  free ;  and  have  been  all  made  to  drink 
into  one  Spirit."     But  there  are  many  believers  with 
whom  that  which  is  potentially  theirs  has  not  become 


I 

I 

I 


178  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

a  matter  of  real,  actual,  personal  experience.  All  men 
are  potentially  justified  in  the  atoning  death  of  Jesus 
Christ  on  the  cross,  that  is  justification  is  provided  for 
them  and  belongs  to  them  (Rom.  v.  18,  R.  V.),  but 
what  potentially  belongs  to  every  man,  each  man  must 
appropriate  to  himself  by  faith  in  Christ }  then  justifica- 
tion is  actually  and  experimentally  his  and  just  so, 
while  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  is  potentially  the 
possession  of  every  believer,  each  individual  believer 
must  appropriate  it  for  himself  before  it  is  experimentally 
his.  We  may  go  still  funher  than  this  and  say  that  it  is 
only  by  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  that  one 
becomes  in  the  fullest  sense  a  member  of  the  body  of 
Christ,  because  it  is  only  by  the  baptism  with  the 
Spirit  that  he  receives  power  to  perform  those  functions 
for  which  God  has  appointed  him  as  a  part  of  the  body. 
As  we  have  already  seen  every  true  believer  has  the 
Holy  Spirit  (Rom.  viii.  9),  but  not  every  believer  has 
the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  (though  every  believer 
may  have  as  we  have  just  seen).  It  is  one  thing  to 
have  the  Holy  Spirit  dwelling  within  us,  perhaps 
dwelling  within  us  way  back  in  some  hidden  sanctuary 
of  our  being,  back  of  definite  consciousness,  and 
something  far  different,  something  vastly  more,  to 
have  the  Holy  Spirit  taking  complete  possession  of 
the  one  whom  He  inhabits.  There  are  those  who 
press  the  fact  that  every  believer  potentially  has  the 
baptism  with  the  Spirit,  to  such  an  extent  that  they 
clearly  teach  that  every  believer  has  the  baptism  with 
the  Spirit  as  an  actual  experience.  But  unless  the 
baptism  with  the  Spirit  to-day  is  something  radically 


f 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     179 

different  from  what  the  baptiim  with  the  Spirit  was  in 
the  eariy  church,  indeed  unles*   it  is  something  not  at 
all  real,  then  either  a  very  large  proportion  of  those 
whom  we  ordinarily  consider  believers  are  not  believers, 
or  else  one  may  be  a  believer  and  a  regenerate  man 
without  having   been  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 
(Certainly,  this  was  the  case  in  the  early  church.     It 
J  was  the  case  with  the  Apostles  before  Pentecost;  it  was 
Jthe  case  with  the  church  in  Ephesus;  it  was  the  case 
twith  the  church  in  Samaria.     And  there  are  thousands 
to-day  who  can  testify  to  having  received  Christ  and 
been  born  again,  and  then  afterwards,  sometimes  long 
afterwards,  having  been  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
as   a  definite  experience.     This  is  a  matter  of  great 
practical  importance,  for  there  are  many  who  are  not 
enjoying  the  fullness  of  privilege  that  they  might  enjoy 
because  by  pushing  individual  verses  in  the  Scriptures 
beyond   what  they   will  bear  and    against   the   plain 
teaching  of  the  Scriptures  as  a  whole,  they  are  trying 
to  persuade  themselves   that   they  have  already  been 
baptized  with   the    Holy   Spirit  when  they  have  not. 
And  if  they  would  only  admit  to  themselves  that  they 
had  not,  they  could  then  take  the  steps  whereby  they 
would  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  as  a  matter 
of  definite,  personal  experience. 

The^t^ext  thinp  which  is  clear  from  the  teaching  of 
Scripture  is  that  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  is  always 
connected  with,  and  primarily  for  the  purpose  of  testimony 

and  service. 

Our  Lord  in  speaking  of  this  baptism  which  they 
were  so  soon  to  receive  in  Luke  xxiv.  49  said,  "  And 


'I  si 


180  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

behold  I  tend  the  promise  of  My  Father  upon  you : 
but  tarry  ye  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  until  ye  be 
tndutd  with  ptwtr  from  on  high,"  And  again  He  said 
in  Acts  i.  5,  8,  **  For  John  truly  baptized  with  water ; 
but'ye'sHair  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost  not 
many  days  hence.  .  .  .  But  ye  shall  rtceivt  pewtr 
after  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you :  and  yt 
shall  be  witnesses  unto  A//,  both  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  all 
Judea,  and  in  Samaria,  and  unto  the  uttermost  part  of 
the  earth."  In  the  record  of  the  fulfillment  of  this 
promise  of  our  Lord  in  Acts  ii.  4,  we  read,  "  And  they 
were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  b^an  to  speak 
with  other  tongues  as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utterance." 
Then  follows  the  detailed  account  of  what  Peter  said 
and  of  the  result.  The  result  was  that  Peter  and  the 
other  Apostles  spoke  with  such  power  that  three  thou- 
sand persons  that  day  were  convicted  of  sin,  renounced 
their  sin  and  confessed  their  acceptance  of  Jesus  Christ 
in  baptism  and  continued  steadfastly  in  the  Apostles' 
doctrine  and  fellowship  and  in  the  breaking  of  bread 
and  in  prayers  ever  afterwards.  In  the  founh  chapter 
of  ActSj^the  thirty-first  to  the  thirty-third  verses,  we 
read  that  when  the  Apostles  on  another  occasion  were 
filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  result  was  that  they 
**  spate  the  word  of  God  with  boldness  "  and  that  "  with 
great  power  gave  the  Apostles  their  witness  to  the  resur- 
rection of  the  Lord  Jesus."  And  in  the  ninth  chapter 
of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  we  have  a  description  of 
Paul's  being  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  We  read 
in  the  seventeenth  to  the  twentieth  verses,  "And 
Ananias  went  his  way,  and  entered  into  the  house  t 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     i8i 

and  putting  hii  hands  on  him  »aid,  Brother  Saul,  the 
Lord,  even  Jetus,  that  appeared  unto  thee  in  the  way 
M  thou  earnest,  hath  aent  me,  that  thou  mightest  re- 
ceive thy  sight,  and  hifilUd  with  thi  Holy  Ghost.     And 
immediately  there  fell  from  hi»  eyes  as  it  had  been 
scales:  and  he   received  sight  forthwith,  and  arose, 
and  was  baptized.    And  when  he  had  received  meat, 
he  was   strengthened.     ...     And  straightway^  b* 
priachtd  Christ  in  the  synagogues,  that  He  is  the  Son 
of  God,"  and  in  the  twenty-second  verse  we  read  that 
he »» confounded  the  Jews  which  dwelt  at  Damascus, 
proving  that  this  is  the  Christ" (R.  V.).     IniCor.xii. 
we  have  the  fullest  discussion  of  the  baptism  with  the 
Holy  Spirit  found  in  any  passage  in  the  Bible.     This 
is  the  classical  passage  on  the  whole  subject.     And  the 
results    there    recorded   are   gifts   for   service.     The 
baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  primarily  intended 
to  make  believers  happy,  but  to  make  them  useful.     It 
is  not  intended  merely  for  the  ecstasy  of  the  individual 
believer,  it  is  intended  primarily  for  his  efficiency  in 
service.     I  do  not  say  that  the  baptism  with  the  Holy 
Spirit  will  not  make  the  believer  happy ;  for  as  part  of 
the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  "joy,"  if  one  is  baptized  with  the 
Holy  Spirit,  joy  must  inevitably  result.     I  have  never 
known  one  to  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  into 
whose  life  there  did  not  come,  sooner  or  later,  a  new 
joy,  a  higher  and  purer  and  fuller  joy  than  he  had  ever 
known  before.     But  this  is  not  the  prime  purpose  of 
the  baptism  nor  the  most  important  and  prominent  re- 
sult.    Great  emphasis  needs  to  be  laid  upon  this  point, 
for  there   are   many   Christians  who   in   seeking  the 


m 


in 


182  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

baptitm  with  the  Spirit  are  seeking  personal  ecstasy  and 
rapture.  They  go  to  conventions  and  conferences  for 
the  deepening  of  the  Christian  life  and  come  back  and 
tell  what  a  wonderful  blessing  they  have  received,  refer- 
ring to  some  new  ecstasy  that  has  come  into  their  heart, 
but  when  you  watch  them,  it  is  difficult  to  see  that  they 
are  any  more  useful  to  their  pastors  or  their  churches 
than  they  were  before,  and  one  is  compelled  to  think 
that  whatever  they  have  received,  they  have  not  re- 
ceived the  real  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  Ecstasies 
and  raptures  are  all  right  in  their  places.  When  they 
come,  thank  God  for  them — the  writer  knows  some- 
thing about  them — but  in  a  world  such  as  we  live  in 
to-day  where  sin  and  self-righteousness  and  unbelief 
are  so  triumphant,  where  there  is  such  an  awful  tide  of 
men,  women  and  young  people  sweeping  on  towards 
eternal  perdition,  I  would  rather  go  through  my  whole 
life  and  never  have  one  touch  of  ecstasy  but  have  power 
to  witness  for  Christ  and  win  others  for  Christ  and 
thus  to  save  them,  than  to  have  raptures  365  days  in 
the  year  but  no  power  to  stem  the  awful  tide  of  sin 
and  bring  men,  women  and  children  to  a  saving 
knowledge  of  my  Lord  and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ. 

The  purpose  of  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
not  primarily  to  make  believers  individually  holy.  I  do 
not  say  that  it  is  not  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
make  believers  holy,  for  as  we  have  already  seen,  He 
is  ^*  the  Spirit  of  Holiness,"  and  the  only  way  we  shall 
ever  attain  unto  holiness  is  by  His  power.  I  do  not 
even  say  that  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  will  not 
result  in  a  great  spiritual  transformation  and  uplift  and 


A      ■■'... 


:.,||i 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     183 

deanting,  for  the  prominc  i«, "  He  •hall  baptixe  you 
wtth  the  Holy  Spirit  and  fit  t "  (and  the  thought  of  fire 
as  used  in  this  connection  is  the  thought  of  searching, 
refining,  cleansing,  consuming).     A  wonderful  trans- 
formation took  place  in  the  Apostles  at  Pentecost,  and 
a  wonderful  transformation  has  uken  place  in  thousands 
who  have  been  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  since 
Pentecost,  but  tht  primary  purpose  0/  tht  baptism  with 
ttn^^Uak-^^Spirit-is  tfictcncx  in   testimony  and  service. 
It  has  to  do  rather  with  gifts  for  service  than  with 
graces  of  character.    It  is  the  imparution  of  spiritual 
power  or  gifts  in  service  and  sometimes  one  may  have 
rare  gifts  by  the  Spirit's  power  and  yet  manifest  few  of 
the   graces  of   the   Spirit.      (See    i    Cor.   xiii.    1-3; 
Matt.  vii.  aa,  23.)    In  every  passage  in  the  Bible  in 
which  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  is  mentioned, 
it  is  connected  with  testimony  or  service. 

We  shall  perhaps  get  a  dearer  idea  of  just  what  the 
baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  is,  if  we  stop  to  consider 
what  are  the  results  of  the  baptism  with  the  Holy 

Spirit. 

What  are  the  results  or  the  baptism  with  thb 

Holy  Spirit  ? 

I.  The  specific  manifestations  of  the  baptism  with  the 
Holy  Spirit  are  not  precisely  the  same  in  all  persons.  This 
appears  very  clearly  from  i  Cor.  xii.  4-13,  "Now 
there  are  diversities  of  gifts,  but  the  same  Spirit.  And 
there  are  differences  of  administrations,  but  the  same 
Lord.  And  there  are  diversities  of  operations,  but  it  is 
the  same  God  which  worketh  all  in  all.  But  the  mani- 
fesution  of  the  Spirit  is  given  to  every  man  to  profit 


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I     «    i 

1        .  !■ 


184  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

withal.  For  to  one  ib  given  by  the  Spirit  the  word  of 
wisdom }  to  another  the  word  of  knowledge  by  the  same 
Spirit  i  to  another  faith  by  the  same  Spirit  i  to  another 
the  gifts  of  healing  by  the  same  Spirit }  to  another  the 
working  of  miracles }  to  another  prophecy  ;  to  another 
discerning  of  spirits  ;  to  another  divers  kind  of  tongues  i 
to  another  the  interpretation  of  tongues :  but  all  these 
worketh  that  one  and  the  selfsame  Spirit,  dividing  to 
every  man  severally  as  He  will.  For  as  the  body  it 
one,  and  hath  many  members,  and  all  the  members  of 
that  one  body,  being  many,  are  one  body :  so  also  it 
Christ.  For  by  one  Spirit  are  we  all  baptized  into  one 
body,  whether  we  be  Jews  or  Gentiles,  whether  we  be 
bond  or  free ;  and  have  been  all  made  to  drink  into  one 
Spirit."  Here  we  see  one  baptism  but  a  great  variety 
of  manifestations  of  the  power  of  that  baptism.  There 
are  diversities  of  gifts,  but  the  same  Spirit.  The  gifts 
vary  with  the  different  lines  of  service  to  which  God 
calls  different  persons.  The  church  is  a  body,  and  dif- 
ferent members  of  the  body  have  different  functions 
and  the  Spirit  imparts  to  the  one  who  is  baptized  with 
the  Spirit  those  gifts  which  fit  him  for  the  service  to 
which  God  has  called  him.  It  is  very  important  to 
bear  this  in  mind.  Through  the  failure  to  see  this, 
many  have  gone  entirely  astray  on  the  whole  subject. 
In  my  early  study  of  the  subject,  I  noticed  the  fact  that 
in  many  instances  those  who  were  baptized  with  the 
Holy  Spirit  spake  with  tongues  {e.  g.^  Acts  ii.  4  i  x.  46 } 
xix.  6)  and  I  wondered  if  every  one  who  was  baptized 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  would  not  speak  with  tongues.  I 
did   not   know  of  any  one   who  was   speaking  with 


if- 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     185 

tongues  to-day  and  so  I  wondered  still  further  whether 
the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  were  for  the  present 
age.     But  one  day  I  was  studying  .?jSsrt^"-  *"** 
noticed  how  Paul  said  to  the  believers  in  that  wonder- 
fully gifted  church  in  Corinth,  all  of  whom  had  been 
pronounced  in  the  thirteenth  verse  to  be  baptized  with 
the  Spirit,  "  And  God  hath  set  some  in  the  church, 
first  apostles,   secondarily   prophets,  thirdly  teachers, 
after  that  miracles,  then  gifts  of  healing,  helps,  govern- 
ments, diversities  of  tongues.     Are  all  apostles  ?     Are 
all  prophets?     Are  all  teachers?  are  all  workers  of 
mi'-acles  ?     Have  all  the  gift  of  healing  ?     Do  all  speak 
with  tongues  f     Do  all  interpret  ?  "     So  I  saw  it  was 
clwly  taught  "in   the   Scriptures   that   one   might  be 
baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  still  not  have  the  gift 
of  tongues.     I  saw  furthermore  that  the  gift  of  tongues, 
according  to  the  Scripture,  was  the  last  and  the  least 
important  of  all  the  gifts,  and  that  we  were  uiged  to 
desire    earnestly  the   greater  gifts   (i   Cor.  xiii.   31; 
I  Cor.  xiv.  5,  I2»  H,  18,  19,  27,  28).     A  little  later  I 
was  tempted  to  fall  into  another  error,  more  specious 
but  in  reality  just  as  unscriptural  as  this,  namely,  that  if 
one  were  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  would  re- 
ceive the  gift  of  an  evangelist.     I  had  read  the  story  of 
D.  L.  Moody,  of  Charles  G.   Finney  and  of  others 
who  were  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  of  the 
power    that   came   to  them   as  evangelists,   and   the 
thought  was  suggested  that  if  any  one  is  baptized  with 
the  Holy  Spirit  will  not  he  also  obtain  power  as  an 
evangelist?     Bat  this  was  also  unscriptural.     If  God 
has  called  a  man  to  be  an  evangelist  and  he  is  baptized 


I 
I 


Ijli 


i86  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

with  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  will  receive  power  as  an 
evangelist,  but  if  God  has  called  him  to  be  something 
else,  he  will  receive  power  to  become  something  else. 
Three  great  evils  come  from  the  error  of  thinking  that 
every  one  who  is  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  will  re- 
ceive power  as  an  evangelist. 

^•(i^)  The  evil  of  disappointment.  There  are  many 
who  seek  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  expecting 
power  as  an  evangelist,  but  God  has  not  called  them 
to  that  <Tork,  and  though  they  really  meet  the  condi- 
tions of  receiving  the  baptism  with  the  Spirit,  and  do 
receive  the  baptism  with  the  Spirit,  power  as  an 
evangelist  does  not  come.  In  many  cases  this  results 
in  bitter  disappointment  and  sometimes  even  in  despair. 
The  one  who  has  expected  the  power  of  an  evangelist 
and  has  not  received  it  sometimes  even  questions  whether 
he  is  a  child  of  God.  But  if  he  had  properly  under- 
stood the  matter,  he  would  have  known  that  the  fact 
that  he  had  not  received  power  as  an  evangelist  is  no 
proof  that  he  has  not  received  the  baptism  with  the 
Spirit,  and  much  less  is  it  a  proof  that  he  is  not  a  child 
of  God. 

(^2)  The  second  evil  is  graver  still,  namely,  the  evil 
of  presumption.  A  man  whom  God  has  not  called  to 
the  work  of  an  evangelist  or  a  minister  oftentimes 
rushes  into  it  because  he  has  received,  or  imagines  he 
has  received,  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  He 
thinks  all  a  man  needs  to  become  a  preacher  is  the  bap- 
tism with  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  is  not  true.  In  order 
to  succeed  as  a  minister  a  man  needs  a  call  to  that 
specific  work,  and  furthermore,  he  needs  that  knowl- 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     187 

e<^e  of  God's  Word  that  will  prepare  him  for  the 
work.  If  a  man  is  called  to  the  ministry  and  studies  the 
Word  until  he  has  something  to  preach,  if  then  he  is 
baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  will  have  success  as  a 
preacher,  but  if  he  is  not  called  to  that  work,  or  if  he 
has  not  the  knowledge  of  the  Word  of  God  that  is 
necessary,  he  will  not  succeed  in  the  work,  even 
though  he  receives  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 

fR)  The  third  evil  is  greater  still,  namely,  the  evil 
of~*mdifFerence.  There  are  many  who  know  that  they 
are  not  called  to  the  work  of  preaching.  If  then  they 
think  that  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  simply  im- 
parts power  as  an  evangelist,  or  power  to  preach,  the 
matter  of  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  is  one  of  no 
personal  concern  to  them.  For  example,  here  is  a 
mother  with  a  large  family  of  children.  She  knows 
perfectly  well,  or  at  least  it  is  hoped  that  she  knows, 
thai  she  is  not  called  to  do  the  work  of  an  evan- 
gelist. She  knows  that  her  duty  lies  with  her  children 
and  her  home.  If  she  reads  or  hears  about  the 
baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  gets  the  impression 
that  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  simply  imparts 
power  to  do  the  work  of  an  evangelist,  or  to 
preach,  she  will  think  "The  evangelist  needs  this 
blessing,  my  minister  needs  this  blessing,  but  it 
is  not  for  me  "  ;  but  if  she  understands  the  matter  as 
it  is  taught  in  the  Bible,  that  while  the  baptism  with 
the  Spirit  imparts  power,  the  way  in  which  the  power 
will  be  manifested  depends  entirely  upon  the  line  of 
work  to  which  God  calls  us,  and  that  no  efficient  work 
can  be  done  without  it,  and  sees  still  further  that  there 


J*. 


11 


J  if, 
I  III' 


i 


1^1 


I'il 

fi:ji 


188  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

it  no  function  in  the  church  of  Jesui  Christ  to-day 
more  holy  and  sacred  than  that  of  sanctified  mother- 
hood, she  will  say,  "The  evangelist  may  need  this 
baptism,  my  minister  may  need  this  baptism;  but  I 
must  have  it  to  bring  up  my  children  in  the  nurture 
and  admonition  of  the  Lord." 

2.  ff^hile  there  are  diversities  of  gifts  and  manifesta- 
tions of  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit ^  there  will  be  some 
gift  to  every  one  thus  baptivud.  We  read  in  i  Cor. 
xii.  7,  R.  v.,  "  But  to  each  one  is  given  the  manifesta- 
tion of  the  Spirit  to  profit  withal."  Every  most  in- 
significant member  of  the  body  of  Christ  has  some 
function  to  perform  in  that  body.  The  body  grows 
by  that  "  which  every  joint  supplieth  "  (Eph.  iv.  16), 
and  to  each  least  significant  joint,  the  Holy  Spirit  im- 
parts power  to  perform  the  function  that  belongs  to 
him. 

3.  //  is  the  Holy  Spirit  who  decides  haw  the  baptism 
with  the  Spirit  shall  manifest  itself  in  any  given  case.  As 
we  read  in  i  Cor,  xii.  ii,  "  But  all  these  worketh  the 
one  and  the  selfsame  Spirit  dividing  to  each  one 
severally,  even  as  He  will."  The  Holy  Spirit  is  ab- 
solutely sovereign  in  deciding  how,  that  is,  in  what 
special  gift,  operation,  or  power,  the  baptism  with  the 
Holy  Spirit  shall  manifest  itself.  It  is  not  for  us  to 
pick  out  some  field  of  service  and  then  ask  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  qualify  us  for  that  service.  It  is  not  for  us  to 
select  some  gift  and  then  ask  the  Holy  Spirit  to  impart 
to  us  this  self-chosen  gift.  It  is  for  us  to  simply  put 
ourselves  entirely  at  the  disposal  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
•end  us  where  He  will,  to  select  for  us  what  kind  of 


r 


!*t    . 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     189 

service  He  will  and  to  impart  to  us  what  gift  He  will. 
He  is  absolute  sovereign  and  our  position  is  that  of 
unconditional  surrender  to  Him.     I  am  glad  that  this 
i»  to.     I  rejoice  th^t  He,  in  His  infinite  wisdom  and 
love,  is  to  select  the  field  of  service  and  the  gifts,  and 
that  this  is  not  to  be  left  to  me  in  my  short-sightedness 
and  foiiy.     It  is  because  of  the  failure  to  recognize  this 
absolute  sovereignty  of  the  Spirit  that  many  fail  of  the 
blessi.ig   and  meet  with  disappointment.     They  are 
trying  to  select  their  own  gift  and  so  get  none.     I  once 
knew  an  earnest  child  of  God  in  Scotland,  who  hear- 
ing of  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  power 
that  resulted  from  it,  gave  up  at  a  great  sacrifice  his 
work  as  a  ship  plater,  for  which  he  was  receiving  large 
wages.     He  heard  that  there  was  a  great  need  of  min- 
ister* in  the  northwest  in  America.     He  came  to  the 
northwest.     He  met  the  conditions  of  the  baptism  with 
the  Holy  Spirit  and  I  believe  was  really  baptized  with 
the  Holy  Spirit,  but  God  had  not  chosen  him  for  the 
work  of  an  evangelist,  and  the  power  as  an  evangelist 
did  not  come  to  him.     No  field  seemed  to  open,  and  he 
was  in  great  despondency.     He  even  questioned  his 
acceptance  before  God.     One  morning  he  came  into 
our  church  in  Minneapolis  and  heard  me  speak  upon 
the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  as  I  pointed  out 
that  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  manifested  itself 
in  many  different  ways,  and  the  fact  that  one  had  not 
power  as  an  evangelist  was  no  proof  that  he  had  not 
received  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  light  came 
into  his  heart.     He  put  himself  unreservedly  into  God's 
hands  for  Him  to  choose  the  field  of  labour  and  the 


I 


'4 


'  ( 
15. 


190  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

gifts.  An  opening  soon  came  to  him  as  a  Sunday- 
school  missionary,  and  then,  when  he  had  given  up 
choosing  for  himself  and  left  it  with  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
divide  to  him  as  He  would,  a  strange  thing  happened } 
he  did  receive  power  as  an  evangelist  and  went  through 
the  country  districts  in  one  of  our  northwestern  states 
with  mighty  power  as  an  evangelist. 

4.  fVhilt  the  power  may  be  of  one  kind  in  one  person 
and  of  another  kind  in  another  person^  there  will  always 
be  powery  the  very  power  of  God^  when  one  is  baptized 
with  the  Holy  Spirit.  We  read  in  Acts  i.  5,  8,  "  For 
John  truly  baptized  with  water ;  but  ye  shall  be'baptized 
with  the  Holy  Ghost  not  many  days  hence.  .  .  . 
But  ye  shall  receive  power^  after  that  the  Holy  Ghost 
is  come  upon  you :  and  ye  shall  be  witnesses  unto  Me 
both  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  all  Judea,  and  in  Samaria, 
and  unto  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth."  As  truly 
as  any  one  who  reads  these  pages,  who  has  not  already 
received  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  seeks  it  in 
God's  way,  he  will  obtain  it,  and  there  will  come  into 
his  service  a  power  that  was  never  there  before,  power 
for  the  very  work  to  which  God  has  called  him.  This 
is  not  only  the  teaching  of  Scripture ;  it  is  the  teaching 
of  religious  experience  throughout  the  centuries.  Re- 
ligious biographies  abound  in  instances  of  men  who 
have  worked  along  as  best  they  could,  until  one  day  they 
were  led  to  see  that  there  was  such  an  experience  as 
the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  to  seek  it  and  ob- 
tain it  and,  from  that  hour,  there  came  into  their  service 
a  new  power  that  utterly  transformed  its  character. 
In  this  matter,  one  thinks  first  of  such  men  as  Finney, 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     191 


and  Moody,  and  Brainerd,  but  cases  of  this  character 
are  not  confined  to  the  few  exceptional  men.  They 
are  common.  The  writer  has  personally  met  and 
corresponded  with  hundreds  and  thousands  of  persons 
around  the  globe,  who  could  testify  definitely  to  the 
new  power  that  God  has  granted  them  through  the 
baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  These  thousands  of 
men  and  women  were  in  all  branches  of  Christian 
service }  some  of  them  are  ministers  of  the  Gospel, 
some  evangelists,  some  mission  workers,  some 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  secretaries,  Sunday-school  teachers, 
fathers,  mothers,  personal  workers.  Nothing  could 
possibly  exceed  the  clearness  and  the  confidence  and 
the  joyfulness  of  many  of  these  testimonies. 

I  shall  not  soon  forget  a  minister  whom  I  met  some 
years  ago  at  a  State  Convention  of  the  Young  People's 
Society  of  Christian  Endeavour  at  New  Briuin,  Conn. 
I  was  speaking  upon  the  subject  of  personal  work  and 
as  I  drew  the  address  to  a  close,  I  said  that  in  order  to 
do  effective  personal  work,  we  must  be  baptized  with 
the  Holy  Spirit,  ?.nd  in  a  very  few  sentences  explained 
what  I  meant  by  that.  At  the  close  of  the  address,  this 
minister  came  to  me  on  the  platform  and  said,  "  I 
have  not  this  blessing  you  have  been  speaking  about, 
but  I  want  it.  Will  you  pray  for  me  ?  "  I  said,  "  Why 
not  pray  right  now  ? "  He  said,  "  I  will."  We  put 
two  chairs  side  by  side  and  turned  our  backs  upon  the 
crowd  as  they  passed  out  of  the  Armoury.  He  prayed 
and  I  prayed  that  he  might  be  baptized  with  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Then  we  separated.  Some  weeks  after,  one 
who  had  witnessed  the  scene  came  to  me  at  a  conven- 


I 


;:  §'. 


192  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

tion  in  Wwhington  and  told  me  how  this  minister  had 
gone  back  to  hit  church  a  transformed  man,  that  now 
his  congregations  filled  the  church,  that  it  was  largely 
composed  of  young  men,  and  that  there  were  conver- 
sions at  every  service.  Some  years  after,  this  minister 
was  called  to  another  field  of  service.  His  most 
spiritually-minded  friends  advised  him  not  to  go,  u  all 
the  ruling  elements  in  the  church  to  which  he  had  been 
called  were  against  aggressive  evangelistic  work,  but 
for  some  reason  or  other,  he  felt  it  was  the  call  of  God 
and  accepted  it.  In  six  months,  there  were  sixty-nine 
conversions,  and  thirty-eight  of  them  were  business 
men  of  the  town. 

After  attending  in  Montreal  some  years  ago  an  Inter- 
provincial  Convention  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  of  the  Provinces  of  Canada,  I  received  a 
letter  from  a  young  man.  He  wrote,  "I  was  present 
at  your  last  meeting  in  Montreal.  I  heard  you  speak 
upon  the  Baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  I  went  to  my 
rooms  and  sought  that  baptism  for  myself  and  received 
it.  I  am  chairman  of  the  Lookout  Committee  of  the 
Christian  Endeavour  Society  of  our  church.  I  called 
together  the  other  members  of  the  committee.  I  found 
that  two  of  them  had  been  at  the  meeting  and  had  al- 
ready been  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  Then  we 
prayed  for  the  other  members  of  the  committee  and 
they  were  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  Now  we  are 
going  out  into  the  church  and  the  young  people  of  the 
church  are  being  brought  to  Christ  right  along." 

A  lady  and  gentleman  once  came  to  me  at  a  conven- 
tion and  told  mc  how,  though  they  had  never  seen  me 


11^ 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     193 

before,  they  had  read  the  report  of  an  address  on  the 
Baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  delivered  in  Boston  at 
a  Christian  Workers'  Convention  and  that  they  had 
sought  this  baptism  and  had  received  it.  The  man 
then  told  me  the  blessing  that  had  come  into  his  serv- 
ice as  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school.  When 
he  had  finished,  his  wife  broke  in  and  said,  **  Yes,  and 
the  best  part  of  it  is,  I  have  been  able  to  get  into  the 
hearts  of  my  own  children,  which  I  was  never  able  to 
do  before."  Here  were  three  distinctly  different  lines 
of  service,  but  there  was  power  in  each  case.  The  re- 
sults of  that  power  may  not,  however,  be  manifest  at 
once  in  conversions.  Stephen  was  filled  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  but  as  he  witnessed  in  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  for  his  risen  Lord,  he  saw  no  conversions  at  the 
time.  All  he  saw  was  the  gnashir^  of  the  teeth,  the 
angry  looks  and  the  merciless  rocks,  and  so  it  may  be 
with  us.  But  there  was  a  conversion,  even  in  that 
case,  though  it  was  a  long  time  before  it  was  seen,  and 
that  conversion,  the  conversion  of  Saul  of  Tarsus,  was 
worth  more  than  hundreds  of  ordinary  conversioati 

5.  Another  result  of  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spiilt 
will  be  boldness  in  testimony  and  service.  We  TCha  in 
Acts  iv.  31,  "  And  when  they  had  prayed,  the  place 
was  shaken  where  they  were  assembled  together ;  and 
they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  they  spake 
the  word  of  God  with  boldness"  The  baptism  with  the 
Holy  Spirit  imparts  to  those  who  receive  it  new  liberty 
and  fearlessness  in  testimony  for  Christ.  It  converts 
cowards  into  heroes.  Peter  upon  the  night  of  our 
Lord's   crucifixion   proved   himself  a  craven  coward. 


If 


194  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

He  denied   with  oatht  and  cunei  that  he  kn^  v  the 
Lord.     But  after  Pentecost,  this  same  Peter  wai  brought 
before  the  very  council  that  had  condemned  Tetus  to 
death,  and  he  himielf  was  threatened,  but  filled  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  he  said,  "  Ye  rulers  of  the  people,  and 
elders  of  Israel,  if  we  this  day  be  examined  of  the  good 
deed  done  to  the  impotent  man,  by  what  means  he  is 
made  whole ;  be  it  known  unto  you  all,  and  to  all  the 
people  of  Israel,  that  by  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Nazareth,  tubem  yt  crucified^  whom  God  raised  from  the 
dead,  even  by  Him  doth  this  man  stand  here  before  you 
whole.     This  is  the  stone  which  was  set  at  nought  of 
you  builders,  which  is  beccme  the  head  of  the  corner. 
Neither  is  there  salvation  in  any  other:  for  there  is 
none  other   name   under  heaven  given  among  men, 
whereby   we   must    be    saved  "  (Acts  iv.  8-12).     A 
little  later  when  the  council  commanded  him  and  his 
companion,  John,  not  to  speak  or  teach  in  the  name  of 
Jesus,   they   answered,  "Whether  it  be  right  in  the 
sight  of  God  to  hearken  unto  you  more  than  unto  God, 
judge  ye.     For  we  cannot  but  speak  the  things  which 
we  have  seen  and  heard  "  (Acts  iv.   19,  20).     On  a 
still  later  occasion,  when  they  were  threatened  and  com- 
manded not  to  speak  and  when   their  lives  were  in 
jeopardy,  Peter  told  the  council  to  their  faces,  "  We 
ought  to  obey  God  rather  than  men.     The  God  of  our 
fathers  raised  up  Jesus,  whom  ye  slew  and  hanged  on  a 
tree.     Him  hath  God  exalted  with  His  right  hand  to  be 
;.  Prince  and  a  Saviour,  for  to  give  repentance  to  Israel, 
and  forgiveness  of  sins.     And  we  are  His  witnesses  of 
these  things ;  and  so  is  also  the  Holy  Ghost,  whom 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     195 

God  hath  given  to  tbcm  that  obey  Him  "  (Acta  v.  29- 
32).  The  natural  timidity  of  many  a  man  fo^ay 
vanishes  when  he  it  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
with  great  boldneti  and  liberty,  with  utter  fearlesineti 
of  conaequencei,  he  give*  hit  testimony   for  Jesua 

Christ. 

6.     Tht  haptism  with  tbt  Htfy  Spirit  causes  tb*  tni  wb$ 
receives  it  to  be  occupied  witb  God  and  Cbrist  and  spiritual 
tbings.     In  the  record  of  the  day  of  Pentecost,  we 
read,  "They  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
began  to  speak  with  other  tongues  as  the  Spirit  gave 
them    utterance.      And    they   were  all  amazed  and 
marvelled,  saying  one  to  another.  Behold,  are  not  these 
which  soeak  Galileans  ?    And  how  hear  we  every  man 
in  our  own  tongue,  wherein  we  were  born  ?    Cretes 
and  Arabians,  we  do  hear  them  speak  in  our  tongues 
tbe  wonderful  works  of  God"  (Acts  ''■  4t  7>j*jO- 
Then  follows  Peter's  sermon,  a  sermon  tnat  irom  start 
to  .inish  is  entirely  taken  up  with  Jesus  Christ  and  His 
glory.     On  a  later  day  we  read,  "  And  when  they  had 
prayed,  the  place  wa»  shaken  where  they  were  assembled 
together ;  and  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  they  spake  tbe  word  of  G«</with  boldness.     And 
with  great  power  gave  the  Apostles  witness  of  tbe  resur- 
rection of  tbe  Lord  Jesus :  and  great  grace  was  upon  them 
all.     .     .     .    Then  Peter,  filed  witb  tbe  Holy  Gbost, 
said  unto  them,  Ye  rulers  of  the  people,  and  elders  of 
Israel,  if  we  this  day  be  examined  of  the  good  deed 
done  to  the  impotent  man,  by  what  means  he  is  made 
whole  i  be  it  known  unto  you  all,  and  to  all  the  people 
of  Israel,  that  by  tbe  name  of  Jesus  of  Naxarttb,  whom 


ill 


I 

I* 


y:! 


196  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

ye  crucified,  whom  God  raised  from  the  dead,  even  by 
Him    doth  this  man   stand  here  before  you  whole" 
(Acts  iv.  31,  33,  8-10).     We  read  of  Saul  of  Tarsus, 
that  when   he   had   been  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit, 
"  Straightway  in  the  synagogues  he  proclaimed  Jesus " 
(Acts  ix.  17, 20,  R.  v.).     We  read  of  the  household  of 
Cornelius,  "  While  Peter  yet  spake  these  words,  the 
Holy  Ghost  fell  on  them  who  heard  the  Word.     And 
they  of  the  circumcision  which  believed  were  astonished, 
as   many   as   came  with   Peter,  because   that   on   the 
Gentiles  also  was  poured  out  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
For  they  heari.  them  speak  with  tongues,  and  magnify 
God."     Here  we  see  the  whole  household  of  Cornelius 
as  soon  as  they  were  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit  magnify- 
ing God.     In  Eph.  v.  18,  19,  we  are  told  that  the  result 
of  \x\ng  filled  with  the  Spirit  is  that  those  who  are  thus 
filled  will  speak  to  one  another  in  psalms  and  hymns 
and  spiritual  songs,  singing  and  making  melody  in  their 
hearts  to  the  Lord.     Men  who  are  filled  with  the  Holy 
Spirit  will    not   be   singing   sentimental   ballads,   not 
comic  ditties,  nor  operatic  airs  while  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  upon  them.     If  the  Holy  Ghost  should 
come  upon  any  one  while  listening  to  one  of  the  most 
innocent  of  the  world's  songs,  he  would  not  enjoy  it, 
he  would  long  to  hear  something  about  Christ.     Men 
who  are  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  do  not  talk  much 
about  self  but  much  about  God,  and  especially  much 
about  Christ.     This  is  necessarily  so,  as  it  is  the  Holy 
Spirit's  office  to  bear  witness  to  the  glorified  Christ 
(John  XV.  26 ;  xvi.  14). 

To  sum  up  everything  that  has  been  said  about  the 


V  :• 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     197 

results  of  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit ;  the  bap- 
tism with  the  Holy  Spirit  is  tht  Spirit  of  God  coming  upon 
the  believer^  filling  his  mind  with  a  real  apprehension  of 
truths  especially  of  Christ,  taking  possession  of  his  faculties, 
imparting  to  him  gifts  not  otherwise  his  but  which  qualify 
him  for  the  service  to  which  God  has  called  him. 
The  necessity  of  the  baptism  with  the  Spirit. 
The   New  Testament   has  much  to  say  about  the 
necessity  for  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit.     When 
our  Lord  was  about  to  leave  His  disciples  to  go  to  be 
with  the  Father,  He  said,  « And,  behold,  I  send  the 
promise  of  My  Father  upon  you :  but  tarry  ye  in  the  city 
of  Jerusalem,   until  ye  be  endued  with  power  from  on 
high  "  (Luke  xxiv.  49)-     He  had  just  commissioned 
them  to  be  His  witnesses  to  all  nations,  beginning  at 
Jerusalem  (vs.  47,  48),  but  He  here  tells  them  that  be- 
fore they  undertake  this  witnessing,  they  must  wait  un- 
til they  receive  the  promise  of  the  Father,  and  were 
thus  endued  with  power  from  on  high  for  the  work  of 
witnessing  which  they  were  to  undertake.     There  is  no 
doubt  as  to  what  Jesus  meant  by  «  the  promise  of  My 
Father,"  for  which  they  were  to  wait  before  beginning 
the  ministry  that  He  had  laid  updn  them ;  for  in  Acts 
i.  4,  5,  we  read,  "  And  being  assembled  together  with 
them  (He),  commanded  them  that  they  should  not  de- 
part from  Jerusalem,  but  wait  for  the  promise  of  the 
Father,  which,  saith  He,  ye  have  heard  of  Me.     For 
John  truly  baptized  with  water;  but  ye  shall  be  baptized 
with  the  Holy  Ghost  not  many  days  hence."     It  is 
evident  then  that  «  the  promise  of  the  Father  "  through 
which  the  enduement  of  power  was  to  come  was  the 


I 


198  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


b 


f 


u 


baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  went  on  to  tell  His 
disciples  "  Ye  shall  receive  power  after  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  shall  come  upon  you :  and  ye  shall  be  witnesses 
unto  Me  both  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  all  Judea,  and  in 
Samaria,  and  unto  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth " 
(Actsi.  8).  Now  who  were  the  men  to  whom  Jesus 
said  this  ?  The  disciples  whom  He  Himself  had 
trained  for  the  work.  For  more  than  three  years,  they 
had  lived  in  the  closest  intimacy  with  Himself;  they 
had  been  eye-witnesses  of  His  miracles,  of  His  death, 
of  His  resurrection,  and  in  a  few  moments  were  to  be 
eye-witnesses  of  His  ascension  as  He  was  taken  up 
right  before  their  eyes  into  heaven.  And  what  were 
they  to  do  ?  Simply  to  go  and  tell  the  world  what  their 
own  eyes  had  seen  and  what  their  own  ^ars  had  heard 
from  the  lips  of  the  Son  of  God.  Were  they  not 
equipped  for  the  work  ?  With  our  modern  ideas  of 
preparation  for  Christian  work,  we  should  say  that  they 
were  thoroughly  equipped.  But  Jesus  said,  "  No,  you 
are  not  equipped.  There  is  another  preparation  in  ad- 
dition to  the  preparation  already  received,  so  absolutely 
necessary  for  eiFective  work  that  you  must  not  stir  one 
step  until  you  receive  it.  This  other  preparation  is  the 
promise  of  the  Father,  the  baptism  with  the  Holy 
Spirit."  If  the  Apostles  with  their  altogether  exceptional 
fitting  for  the  work  which  they  were  to  undertake 
needed  this  preparation  for  work,  how  much  more  do 
we  ?  In  the  light  of  what  Jesus  required  of  His  dis- 
ciples before  undertaking  the  work,  does  it  not  seem 
like  the  most  daring  p  jsumption  for  any  of  us  to 
undertake  to  witness  and  work  for  Christ  until  we  also 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     199 

have  received  the  promise  of  the  Father,  the  baptism 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  ?  There  was  apparently  impera- 
tive need  that  something  be  done  at  once.  The  whole 
world  was  perishing  and  they  alone  knew  the  saving 
truth,  nevertheless  Jesus  strictly  charged  them  "wait." 
Could  there  be  a  stronger  testimony  to  the  absolute 
necessity  and  importance  of  the  baptism  with  the  Holy 
Spirit  as  a  preparation  for  work  that  should  be  accept- 
able to  Christ  ? 

But  this  is  not  all.     In  Actsx^S  we  re>d,  "How 
God  anointed  Jesus  of  ifazarethwtth  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  pnver;  who  went  about  doing  good,  and  healing 
all  that  were  oppressed  of  the  devil ;  for  God  was  with 
Him."     To  what  does  this  refer  in  the  recorded  life  of 
Jesus  Christ  ?     If  we  will  turn  to  Luke  iii.  21,  22,  and 
Luke  iv.  i,  4»  I7»  18,  we  will  get  our  answer.     In 
Luke  iii.  21,  22,  R.  V.,  we  read  that  after  Jesus  had 
been   baptized   and  was  praying,  "  The  heaven  was 
opened,  and   the  Holy   Spirit  descended  in  a  bodily 
form,  as  a  dove,  upon  Him,  and  a  voice  came  out  of 
heaven.  Thou  art  My  beloved  Son ;   in  Thee  I  am 
well  pleased."     Then  the  next  thing  that  we  read,  with 
nothing    intervening    but    the    human    genealogy   of 
Jesus,  is  "And  Jesus,  full  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  returned 
from    the   Jordan,  and   was  led  by  the  Spirit  in  the 
wilderness"  (Luke  iv.  i).     Then  follows  the  story  of 
His  temptation ;  then  in  the  fourteenth  verse  we  read, 
"And  Jesus   returned   in  the  power  of  the  Spirit  into 
Galilee :  and  a  fame  went  out  concerning  Him  through 
all  the  region  round  about."     And  in  the  seventeenth 
and  eighteenth  verses,  "And  there  was  delivered  unto 


i! 


If 


100  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

Him  tlie  book  of  the  prophet  luiah.    And  He  opened 
the  book,  and  found  the  place  where  it  was  written, 
The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  it  upon  Me,  because  He  bath 
anr  ttd  Mi  to  preachy  etc."     Evidently  then,  it  was  at 
the  J  31  An  in  connection  with  His  baptism  that  Jesus 
was    anointed    with    the    Holy    Spirit    and    power, 
and    He  did   not   enter    upon   His   public    ministry 
until   He    was  thus  baptized  with  the   Holy  Spirit. 
And    who    was  Jesus?     It    is    the    common    belief 
of    Christendom    that    He   had    been    supernaturally 
conceived    through    the    Holy    Spirit's    power,    that 
He  was  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God,  that  He  was 
Divine,  very  God  of  very  God,  and  yet  truly  man. 
If  such   an    One  "leaving   us   an  example  that  we 
should   follow  His  steps "  did  not  venture  upon  His 
ministry,  for  which  the  Father  had  sent  Him,  until 
thus  definitely  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  what  is 
it  for.  us  to  dare  to  do  it  ?     If  in  the  light  of  these 
recorded  facts  we  dare  to  do  it,  does  it  not  seem  like 
the    roost   unpardonable   presumption?     Doubtless   it 
has  been  done  in  ignorance  by  many  of  us,  but  can  we 
plead  ignorance  any  longer?     It  is  evident  that  the 
baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  is  an  absolutely  necessary 
preparation  for  effective  work  for  Christ  along  every 
line  of  service.     We  may  have  a  very  clear  call  to 
service,  as  clear  it  may  be  as  the  Apostles  had,  but  the 
charge  is  laid  upon  us  as  upon  them,  that  before  we 
begin  that  service  we  must  tarry  until  we  arc  clothed 
with  power  from  on  high.     This  cnduemcnt  of  power 
is  through  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 

But  this  is  not  all  even  yet.     We  read  in  Acts  viii. 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     201 

14-16,  "Now   when    the   Apostles  which   were   at 
Jerusalem  heard^  that  Samaria  had  received  the  Word 
of  God,  they  sent  unto  them  Peter  and  John :   who, 
when  they  were  come  down,  prayed  for  theniy  that  they 
might  receive  the  Holy  Ghost   (for  as  yet  He  was  fallen 
upon  none  of  them :  only  they  were  baptized  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus)."     There  was  a  great  com- 
pany of  happy  converts  in  Samaria,  but  when  Peter 
and  John  came  down  to  inspect  the  work,  they  s/i- 
dently  felt  that  there  was  something  so  essential  thit 
these  young  disciples  had  not  received  that  before  they 
did  anything  else,  they  must  see  to  it  that  they  received 
it.     In  a  similar  way  we  read  in  Acts  xix.  i,  2,  R.  V., 
"And   it  came  to  pass,  that,   while  ApoUos  was  at 
Corinth,  Paul  having  passed  through  the  upper  country 
came  to  Ephcsus,  and  found  certain  disciples :  and  he 
said  unto  them.  Did  ye  receive  the  Holy  Ghost  when 
ye  believed  ?  "     When  he  found  that  they  had   not 
received  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  first  thing  that  he  saw  to 
was  that  they  should  receive  the  Holy  Spirit.     He  did 
not  go  on  with  the  work  with  the  outsiders  until  that 
little  group  of  twelve  disciples  had  been  equipped  for 
service.     So  we  see  that  when  the  Apostles  found  be- 
lievers in  Christ,  the   first  thing  that  they  always  did 
was  to  demand  whether  they  had  received  the  Holy 
Spirit  as  a  definite  experience  and  if  not,  they  saw  to  it 
at  once  that  the  steps  were  taken  whereby  they  should 
receive  the  Holy  Spirit.     It  is  evident  then  that  the 
baptism  with   the  Holy  Spirit  is  absolutely   necessary  in 
every  Christian  for  the  service  that  Christ  demands  and 
expects  of  him.     There  are  certainly  few  greater  mis- 


i 


I 


202  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

uket  that  we  are  making  to-day  in  our  various  Chris- 
tian enterprises   than   that  of  setting   men  to  teach 
Sunday-school  classes  and  do  personal  work  and  even 
to  preach  the  Gospel,  because  they  have  been  converted 
and  received  a  certain  amount  of  education,  including 
it  may  be  a  college  and  seminary  course,  but  have  not 
as  yet  been  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit.    We  think 
that  if  a  man  is  hopefully  pious  and  has  had  a  college 
and  seminary  education  and  comes  out  of  it  reasonably 
orthodox,  he  is  now  ready  that  we  should  lay  our  hands 
upon  him  and  ordain  him  to  preach  the  Gospel.     But 
Jesus  Christ  says,  «  No."     There  is  another  prepara- 
tion so  all  essential  that  a  man  must  not  undertake  this 
work  until  he  has  received  it.    "Tarry  ye  (literally 
"  sit  ye  down  ")  until  ye  be  endued  with  power  from 
on  high."     A  distinguished  theological  professor  has 
said  that  the  question  ought  to  be  put  to  every  candi- 
date for  the  ministry,  "  Have  you  met  God  ?  "     Yes, 
but  we  ought  to  go  farther  than  this  and  be  even  more 
definite!  to  every  candidate  for  the  ministry  we  should 
put  the  question,  "  Have  you  been  baptized  with  the 
Holy  Spirit  ?  "  and  if  not,  we  should  say  to  him  as  Jesus 
said  to  the  first  preachers  of  the  Gospel,  "SU  down 
until  you  are  endued  with  power  from  on  high." 

But  not  only  is  this  true  of  ordained  ministers,  it  is 
true  of  every  Christian,  for  all  Christians  are  called  to 
ministry  of  some  kind.  Any  man  who  is  in  Christian 
work,  who  has  not  received  the  baptism  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  ought  to  stop  his  work  right  where  he  is  and  not 
go  on  with  it  until  he  has  been  "  clothed  with  power 
from  on  high."     But  what  will  our  work  do  while  we 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     20^^ 

are  waiting  ?     The  question  can  be  answered  by  ask- 
ing another,  "  What  did  the  world  do  during  these  ten 
days  while  the  early  disciples  were  waiting  ?  "     They 
knew  the  saving  truth,  they  alone  knew  it ;  yet  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  Lord's  command  they  were  silent.     The 
world  was  no  loser.     Beyond  a  doubt,  when  the  power 
came,  they  accomplished  more  in  one  day  than  they 
would  have  accomplished  in  years  if  they  had  gone  on 
in  self-confident  defiance  and  disobedience  to  Christ's 
command.     We  too   after  that  we  have  received  the 
baptism  with  the  Spirit  will  accomplish  more  of  real 
work  for  our  Lord  in  one  day  than  we  ever  would  in 
years  without  this  power.     Even  if  it  were  necessary  to 
spend  days  in  waiting,  they  would  be  well  spent,  but 
we  shall  see  later  that  there  is  no  need  that  we  spend 
days  in  waiting,  that  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit 
may  be  received  to-day.     Some  one  may  say  that  the 
Apostles  had  gone  on  missionary  tours  during  Christ's 
lifetime,  even  before  they  were  bapti^ed  with  the  Holy 
Spirit.     This  is  true,  but  that  was  before  the  Holy  Spirit 
was  given,  and  before  the  command  was  given, "  Tarry 
ye  until  ye  be  clothed  with  power  from  on  high." 
After  that  it  would  have  been  disobedience  and  folly 
and  presumption  to  have  gone  forth  without  this  endue- 
ment,  and  we  are  living  to-day  after  the  Holy  Spirit  has 
been  given  and  after  the  charge  has  been  given  to  tarry 
until  clothed. 
Who  can  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  ? 
We  come  now  to  the  question  of  first  importance, 
namely.  Who  can  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  ?     At 
a  convention  some  years  ago,  a  very  intelligent  Chris- 


H 


i\ 


I' 


1.1.'. 


V   If  ^' 


204  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

tian  woman,  a  well-known  worker  in  educational  at 
well   as   Sunday-school  work,  sent   me  this  question, 
"You  have  told  us  of  the  necessity  of  the  baptism  with 
the  Holy  Spirit,  but  who  can  have  this  baptism  ?     The 
churcn  to  which  I  belong  teaches  that  the  baptism  with 
the    Holy  Spirit  was    confined  to  the  apostolic  age. 
Will  you  not  tell  us  who  can  have  the  baptism  with  the 
Holy  Spirit  ?  "     Fortunately  this  question  is  answered  in 
the  most  explicit  terms  in  the  Bible.     We  read  in  Acts 
ij.  38,  39,  R-  v.,  "  And  Peter  said  unto  them.  Repent 
ye,  and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ  unto  the  remission  of  your  sins ;  and  ye 
shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.     For  to  you 
is  the  promise,  and  to  your  children,  and  to  all  that  are 
afar  off,  even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call 
unto  Him."     What  is  the  promise  to  which  Peter  refers 
in  the  thirty-ninth  verse  ?     There  are  two  interpreta- 
tions of  the  passage ;  one  is  that  the  promise  of  this 
verse  is  the  promise  of  salvation  ;  the  other  is  that  the 
promise  of  this  verse  is  the  promise  of  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  (or  the   baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit ;  a 
comparison  of  Scripture  pass^es  will  show  that  the  two 
expressions  are  synonymous).     Which  is  the  correct 
interpretation  ?     There  are  two  laws  of  interpretation 
universally  recognized  among   Bible   scholars.     These 
two  laws  are  the  law  of  usage  (or  "  usus  loquendi  "  as 
it  is  called)  and  the  law  of  context.     Many  a  verse  in 
the  Bible  standing  alone  might  admit  of  two  or  three  or 
even  more  interpretations,  but  when  these  two  laws  of 
interpretation  are  applied,  it  is  settled  to  a  certainty 
that  only  one  of  the  various  possible  interpretations  is 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     205 

the  true  interpretation.     The  law  of  usage  is  this,  that 
when  you   find   a  word   or  phrase  in  any  passage  of 
Scripture  and  you  wish  to  know  what  it  means,  do  not 
go  to  a  dictionary  but  go  to  the  Bible  itself,  look  up  the 
various    passages    in    which    the  word   is   used   and 
especially  how  the  particular  writer  being  studied  uses 
it,  and  especially  how  it  is  used  in  that  particular  book 
in  which  the  passage  is  found.    Thus  you  can  deter- 
mine what  the  precise  meaning  of  the  word  or  phrase  is 
in  the   passage  in  question.     The  law  of  context  is 
this }  that  when  you  study  a  passage,  you  should  not 
take  it  out  of  its  connection  but  should  look  at  what 
goes  before   it  and  what  comes  after  it  i  for  while  it 
might  mean  various  things  if  it  stood  alone,  it  can  only 
mean  one  thing  in  the  connection  in  which  it  is  found. 
Now  let  us  apply  these  two  laws  to  the  passage  in 
question.     First  of  all,  let  us  apply  the  law  of  usage. 
We  are  trying  to  discover  what  the  expression  "  the 
promise  "  means  in  Acts  ii.  39.     Turning  back  to  Acts 
i.  4,  5,  R.  v.,  we  read,  "  He  chained  them  not  to  de- 
part from  Jerusalem,  but  to  wait  ior  the  promise  of  the 
Father^  which,  said  He,  ye  heard  from  Me :  for  John 
indeed  baptized  with  water ;  but  yc  shall  be  baptized 
with  the  Holy  Ghost  not  many  days  hence."     It  is  evident 
then,  that  here  the   promise  of  the  Father  means  the 
baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit.     Turn  now  to  the  second 
chapter    and    the   thirty-third    verse,  R.   V.,    "Being 
therefore  by  the  right  hand  of  God  exalted,  and  having 
received  of  the  Father  the  promise  of  the  Holy  Ghost.,  He 
hath  poured   forth  this,  which  ye  see  and  hear."     In 
this  passage  we  are  told  in  so  many  words  that  the 


I 


206  The  Pcnon  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

promiie  U  the  promiie  of  the  Holy  Spirit.     If  thi» 
peculiar  exprewion  meant  the  baptism  with  the  Holy 

Spirit  in  Acta  i.  4»  5»«n<J  «*>«  "•"«  ***'"«  '"  ^^"  "'  33» 
by  what  »ame  law  of  interpretation  can  it  possibly  mean 
something  entirely  different  six  verses  farther  down  in 
Acts  ii.  39  ?     So  the  law  of  usage  establishes  it  that  the 
promise  of  Acts  ii.  39  is  the  promise  of  the  baptism  with 
the  Holy  Spirit.     Now  let  us  apply  the  law  of  context, 
and  we  shall  find  that,  if  possible,  this  is  even  more 
decisive.    Turn  back  to  the  thirty-eighth  verse,  "  And 
Peter  said  unto  them.  Repent  ye,  and  be  baptized  every 
one  of  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  unto  the  remis- 
sion of  your  sins  •,  and  jt  shall  rtctivt  the  gift  of  thi  Htly 
Ghost  {  for   tht  promise   is  unto  you,  etc."      So  it  is 
evident  here  that  the  promise  is  the  promise  of  the  gift 
or  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit.     It  is  settled  then 
by  both  laws  that  the  promise  of  Acts  ii.  39  »»  that  of 
the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  or  baptism  with  the  Holy 
Spirit.     Let  us  then  read  the  verse  in  that  way,  substi- 
tuting this  synonymous  expression  for  the  expression 
»*the  promise,"  "For  the  baptism  with  the  Spirit  is 
unto  you,  and  to  your  children  and  to  all  that  are  afar 
ofF,  even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call." 
"  It  is  unto  youy"  says  Peter,  that  is  to  the  crowd  as- 
sembled before  him.     There  is  nothing  in  that  for  us. 
We  were  not  there,  and  that  crowd  were  all  Jews  and 
we  are  not  Jews  •,  but  Peter  did  not  stop  there,  he  goes 
further  and  says,  "And  to  your  children^"  that  is  to  the 
next  generation  of  Jews,  or  all  future  generations  of 
Jews.     Still  there  is  nothing  in  it  for  us,  for  we  are  not 
Jews}  but  Peter  did  not  stop  even  there,  he  went  further 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     207 

and  said,  "  And  /•  all  them  that  art  afar  tf"    That 
does  take  us  in.     We  are  the  Gentile*  who  were  once 
"afar  off,"  but   now  "made   nigh   by  the  blood  of 
Christ"  (Eph.  ii.  13,  17).     But  lest  there  be  any  mis- 
uke  about  it  whatever,  Peter  adds  "  even  as  many  as 
the  Lord  our  God  shall  call  unto  Him."    So  on  the 
very  day  of  Pentecost,  Peter  declares  that  the  baptism 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  is  for  every  child  of  God  in  every 
coming  age  of  the  c  lurch's  history.    Some  years  ago 
at  a  ministerial  conference  in  Chicago,  a  minister  of 
the  Gospel  from  the  Southwest  came  to  me  after  a 
lecture  on  the  Baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  said, 
"  The  church  to  which  I  be'ong  teaches  that  the  bap- 
tism with  tkr  Holy  Spirit  was  for  the  apostolic  age 
alone."    »'        -  not  care,"  I  replied, "  what  the  church 
to  which  yo.  '^long  teaches,  or  what  the  church  to 
which  I  belong  teaches.     The  only  qut^        'vith  me 
is,  Wha;  does  the  Word  of  God  teach  ? "  -at  is 

right,"  he  said.  I  then  hamled  him  my  Bible  and  asked 
him  to  read  Acts  ii.  39,  and  he  read,  "  For  the  promise 
is  unto  you,  and  unto  your  children  and  to  all  them 
that  are  afar  off  even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God 
shall  call  unto  Him  "  (R.  V.).  "  Has  He  called  you  ? " 
I  asked.  "  Yes,  He  certainly  has."  "  Is  th^  promise 
for  you  then  ?  "  "Yes,  it  is."  He  took  x  and  the 
result  was  a  transformed  ministry.  Some  years  ago  at 
a  students'  conference,  the  gatherings  were  presided 
over  by  a  prominent  Episcopalian  minister,  a  man  greatly 
honoured  and  loved.  I  spoke  at  ihis  conference  on 
the  Baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  dwelt  upon 
the  significance  of  Acts  ii.  39.    Tiiat  night  as  we  sat 


I 


\    . 


208  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

together  after  the  meeting!  were  over,  this  lervint  of 
God  said  to  me,  "  Brother  Torrey,  I  wai  greatly  inter- 
ested in  what  you  had  to  tay  to-day  on  the  Baptism 
with  the  Holy  Spirit.    If  your  interpretation  of  Acts  ii.  39 
it  correct,  you  have  your  ca$e,  but  I  doubt  your  inter- 
pretation of  Acts  ii.  39.     Let  "•  »*"'  '»  o^«'-"    ^* 
did  talk  it  over.     Several  years  later,  in  July,  1894, 1 
was  at  the  studentt'  conference  at  Northfield.    As  1 
entered  the  back  door  of  Stone  Hall  that  day,  this 
Episcopalian  minister  entered  the  front  door.     Seeing 
me  he  hurried  across  the  hall  and  held  out  his  hand 
and  said,  "You  were  right  about  Acts  ii.  39  at  Knox- 
ville,  and  I  believe  I  have  a  right  to  tell  you  something 
better  yet,  that  I  have  been  baptized  with  the  Holy 
Spirit."     I  am  glad  that  I  was  right  about  Acts  ii.  39, 
not  that  it  is  of  any  importance  that  I  should  be  right, 
but  the  truth  thus  established  'S  of  immeasurable  im- 
portance.    Is  it  not  glorious  to  be  able  to  go  literally 
around  the  world  and  face  audiences  of  believers  all 
over  the  United  States,  in  the  Sandwich  Islands,  in 
Australia  and  Tasmania  and  New  Zealand,  in  China 
and  Japan  and  India,  in  England  and  Scotland,  Ireland, 
Germany,  France  and  Switzerland  and  to  be  able  to 
tell   them,  and  to   know  that   you  have  God's  sure 
Word  under  your  feet  when  you  do  tell  them,  "You 
may  all  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit"  ?     But  that 
unspeakably  joyous  and  glorious  thought  has  its  solemn 
side.     If  we  may  be  baptized  with  the   Holy  Spirit 
then  we  must  be.     If  we  are  baptized  with  the  Holy 
Spirit   then   souls  will  be  saved  through  our  instru- 
mentality who  will  not  be  saved  if  we  are  not  thus 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     209 

btptixed.     If  then  we  »re  not  willing  to  pay  the  price 
of  thi«  baptism  and  therefore  are  not  thua  baptixed  we 
•hall  be  responsible  before  God  for  every  soul  that 
might  have  been  saved  who  was  not  saved  because  we 
did  not   pay  the  price  and  therefore  did  not  obtain 
the  blessing.     I  often  tremble  for  myself  and  for  my 
brethren  in  the  ministry,  and  not  only  for  my  brethren 
in  the  ministry  but  for  my  brethren  in  all  forms  of 
Christian  work,  even  the  most  humble  and  obscure. 
Why  ?     Because  we  are  preaching  error  ?     No,  alas, 
there  are  many  in  these  dark  days  who  are  doing  that, 
and  I  do  tremble  for  them  i  but  that  is  not  what  I 
mean  now.     Do  I  mean  that  I  tremble  because  we  arc 
not  preaching  the  truth  ?  for  it  is  quite  possible  not  to 
preach  error  and  yet  not  preach  the  truth  j  many  a  man 
has  never  preached  a  word  of  error  in  his  life,but  still 
is  not  preaching  the  truth,  and  I  do  tremble  for  them  •, 
but  that  is  not  what  I  mean  now.     I  mean  that  I 
tremble  for  those  of  us  who  are  preaching  the  truth,  the 
very  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  the  truth  as  it  is  recorded 
in  the  written  Word  of  God,  the  truth  in  its  simplicity, 
its  purity  and  its  fullness,  but  who  are  preaching  it  in 
"  persuasive  words  of  man's  wisdom  "  and  not  "  in 
demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of  power"  il^S^r. 
»!•  ^jl»JL)'     Preaching  it  in  the  energy  of  the  flesh 
and  not  in  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.     There  is 
nothing  more  death  dealing  than  the  Gospel  without 
the  Spirit's  power.    «  The  If  tcr  killeth,  but  the  Spirit 
giveth  life."     It  is  awfully  s  'lemn  business  preaching 
the  Gospel  either  from  the  pulpit  or  in  more  quiet 
ways.     It  means  death  or  life  to  those  that  hear,  and 


210  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

whether  it  means  death  or  life  depends  very  largely  on 
whether  we  preach  it  with  or  without  the  baptism  with 
the  Holy  Spirit. 

Wt  must  bt  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Even  after  one  has  been  baptized  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  no  matter  how  definite  that  baptism  may  be,  he 
needs  to  be  filled  again  and  again  with  the  Spirit.     This 
is   the  clear  teaching  of  the  New  Testament.    We 
read  in  ^ctsiij^,  "  They  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost  ancTBegS  to  speak  with  other  tongues  as  the 
Spirit  gave  them  utterance."  Now  one  of  those  who 
was  present  on  this  occasion  and  who  therefore  was 
filled  at  this  time  with  the  Holy  Spirit  was  Peter.     In- 
deed, he  stands  forth  most  prominently  in  the  chapter 
as  a  man  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit.     But  we  read 
in   Acts   iy^  .8,   "Then   Peter,  filled  with   the  Holy 
Ghost^  said""unto  them,  etc."     Here  we  read  again  that 
Peter  was  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost.     Further  down 
in  the  chapter  we  read,  in  the  |hir|xJiiaLy(erse,  that  being 
assembled  t(^ether  and  praying,  they  were  all  filled  with 
the  Holy  Gkjst^  and  they  spake  the  Word  of  God  with 
boldness."     We  are  expressly  told  in  the  context  that 
two  of  those  present  were  John  and  Peter.     Here  then 
was  a  third  instance  in  which  Peter  was  filled  with  the 
Holy  Spirit.     It  is  not  enough  that  one  be  filled  with 
the  Holy  Spirit  once.     We  need  a  new  filling  for  each 
new  emergency  of  Christian  service.     The  failure  to 
realize'  this  Veed  of  constant  fefiilings  with  the  Holy 
Spirit  has  led  to  many  a  man  who  at  one  time  was 
greatly  used  of  God,  being  utterly  laid  aside.     There 
are  many  to-day  who  once  knew  what  it  was  to  work 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     211 

in  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  who  have  lost  their 
unction  and  their  power.     I  do  not  say  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  has  left  them— I  do  not  believe  He  has— but  the 
manifestation   of  His  presence  and  power  has  gone. 
One  of  the  saddest  sights  among  us  to-day  is  that  of 
the  men  and  women  who  once  toiled  for  the  Master  in 
the  mighty  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  who  are  now  prac- 
tically of  no  use,  or  even  a  hindrance  to  the  work,  be- 
cause they  are  trying  to  go  in  the  power  of  the  blessing 
received  a  year  or  five  years  or  twenty  years  ago.     For 
each  new  service  that  is  to  be  conducted,  for  each  new 
soul  that  is  to  be  dealt  with,  for  each  new  work  for 
Christ  that  is  to  be  performed,  for  each  new  day  and 
each  new  emergency  of  Christian  life  and  service,  wc 
should   seek  and  obtain  a  new  filling  with  the  Holy 
Spirit.    We  must  not  "  neglect "  the  gift  that  is  in  us 
(I  Tim.  iv.  14),  but  on  the  contrary  "  kindle  anew  "  or 
»*stir  into  flame  "  this  gift  (i  Tim.  i.  6,  R.  V.,  mar- 
gin).    Repeated  fillings  with  the  Holy  Spirit  are  neces- 
sary to  continuance  and  increase  of  power. 

The  question  may  arise,  "  Shall  we  call  these  new 
fillings  with  the  Holy  Spirit  *  fresh  baptisms  *  with  the 
Holy  Spirit  ?  "  To  this  we  would  answer,  the  expres- 
sion "baptism"  is  never  used  in  the  Scriptures  of  a 
second  experience  and  there  is  something  of  an  initia- 
tory character  in  the  very  thought  of  baptism,  so  if  one 
wishes  to  be  precisely  Biblical,  it  would  seem  to  be  better 
not  to  use  the  term  "  baptism  "  of  a  second  experience 
but  to  limit  it  to  the  first  experience.  On  the  other 
hand  ^'■filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit "  is  used  in  Acts  ii. 
4,  to  describe  the  experience  promised  in  Acts  i.  5, 


^^- 


*it  a 


V. 

I! 


I ', 


212  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

where  the  words  used  are  "Ye  shsilhc  baptized  with  the 
Holy  Ghost."  And  it  is  evident  from  this  and  from 
other  passages  that  the  two  expressions  are  to  a  large 
extent  practically  synonymous.  However,  if  we  con- 
fine the  expression  "  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  "  to 
our  first  experience,  we  shall  be  more  exactly  Biblical 
and  it  would  be  well  to  speak  of  one  baptism  but  many 
fillings.  But  I  would  a  great  deal  rather  that  one  should 
speaK  about  new  or  fresh  baptisms  'vith  the  Holy  Spirit, 
standing  for  the  all-important  tt  ch  that  we  need  re- 
peated fillings  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  than  that  he  should 
so  insist  on  exact  phraseology  that  he  would  lose  sight 
of  the  truth  that  repeated  fillings  are  needed,  «.  *.,  I 
would  rather  have  the  right  experience  by  a  wrong  name, 
than  the  wrong  experience  by  the  right  name.  This 
much  is  as  clear  as  day,  that  we  need  to  be  filled  again 
and  again  and  again  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  I  am  some- 
times asked,  "  Have  you  received  the  second  blessing  f  " 
Yes,  and  the  third  and  the  fourth  and  the  fifth  and 
hundreds  beside,  and  I  am  looking  for  a  new  blessing 
to-day. 

We  come  now  to  the  question  of  first  practical  im- 
portance, namely,  WjJAT  MUST  one  do  in  order  to  ob- 
tain THE  BAPTISM  WITH  THE  HoLV  SPIRIT?  This  ques- 
tion is  answered  in  the  plainest  and  most  positive  way  in 
the  Bible.  A  plain  path  is  laid  down  in  the  Bible  consist- 
ing of  a  few  simple  steps  that  any  one  can  take,  and  it 
is  absolutely  certain  that  any  one  who  takes  these  steps 
will  enter  into  the  blessing.  This  is,  of  couse,  a  very 
positive  statement,  and  we  would  not  dare  be  so  posi- 
tive if  the  Bible  were  not  equally  positive.     But  what 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     213 

right  have  we  to  be  uncertain  when  the  Word  of  God 
is  positive  ?     There  are  seven  steps  in  this  path  : 

I.     The  first  step  is  that  we  accept  Jesus  Christ  as 
our  Saviour  and  Lord.     We  read  in  Acts  ii.  38,  R.  V., 
"  Repent  ye,  and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ  for  the  remission  of  your  sins,  and 
ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost."     Is  not 
this  statement  as  positive  as  that  which  we  made  above  ? 
Peter  says  that  if  we  do  certain  things,  the  result  will 
be,   "Ye    shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 
All  seven  steps  are  in  this  passage,  but  we  shall  refer 
later   to   other   passages   as  throwing  light  upon  this. 
Th     first  two  steps  are  in  the  word  "  repent."     "  ^*- 
pent  ye,"  said  Peter.     What  does  it  mean  to  repent  ? 
The   G    ek   word    for   repentance  means  "  an  after- 
thought      or  "change   of  mind."     To   repent   then 
means  to  change  your  mind.     But  change  your  mind 
about  what  ?     About  three  things ;  about  God,  about 
Jesus  Christ,  about  sin.     What  the  change  of  mind  is 
about  in  any  given  instance  must  be  determined  by  the 
context.     As  determined  by  the  context  in  the  present 
case,  the  change  of  mind  is  primarily  about  Jesus  Christ. 
Peter  had  just  said  in  the  thirty-sixth  verse,  R.  V.,    "  Let 
all  the  hou-e  of  Israel  know  assuredly,  that  God  hath 
made  Him  both  Lord  and  Christ,  this  Jesus  whom  ye 
crucified.     When  they  heard  this,  they  were  pricked  in 
their  heart,"  as  well  they  might  be,  "  and  said  unto  Peter 
and  the  rest  of  the  Apostles,  Brethren,  what  shall  we 
do  ?  "     Then   it   was   that  Peter  said,  "  Repent  ye," 
"  Change  your  mind   about  Jesus,  change  your  mind 
from  that  attitude  of  mind  that  rejected  Him  and  crucif 


J  : 


I    * 


214  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

fied  Him  to  that  attitude  of  mind  that  accepts  Him  as 
Lord  and  King  and  Saviour."  This  then  is  the  Hrst  step 
towards  receiving  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  i 
receive  Jesus  as  Saviour  and  Lord ;  first  of  all  recci-'e 
Him  as  your  Saviour.     Have  you  done  that  ? 

What  does  it  mean  to  receive  Jesus  as  Saviour  ?     It 
means  to  accept  Him  as  the  One  who  bore  our  sins  in 
our  place  on  the  cross  (Gal.  iii.  13}  2  Cor.  v.  21)  and 
to  trust  God  to  forgive  us  because  Jesus  Christ  died  in 
our  place.     It  means  to  rest  all  our  hope  of  acceptance 
before  God  upon  the  finished  work  of  Christ  upon  the 
cross  of  Calvary,      .'here  are  many  who  profess  to  be 
Christians  who  have  not  done  this.     When  you  go  to 
many  who  call  themselves  Christians  and  ask  them  if 
they  are  saved,  they  reply,  "Yes.'      Then  if  you  put 
to  them  the  question  "  Upon  what  are  you  resting  as 
the  ground  of  your  salvation  ?  "  they  will  reply  some- 
thing like  this,  "  I  go  to  church ;  I  say  my  prayers,  I 
read  my  Bible,  I  have  been  baptized,  I  have  united  with 
the  church,  I  partake  of  the  Lord's  supper,  I  attend 
prayer-meeting,  and  I  am  trying  to  live  as  near  right  as 
I  know  how."     If  these  things  are  what  you  are  rest- 
ing upon  as  the  ground  of  your  acceptance  before  God, 
then  you  are   not  saved,  for  all  these  things  are  your 
own  works  (all  proper  in  their  places  but  still  your  own 
works)  and  we  are  distinctly  told  in  Rom.  iii.  20,  R.  V., 
that  "  By  the  works  of  the  '.aW  shall  no  flesh  be  justi- 
fied in   His  sight."     But  if  you  go  to  others  and  ask 
them  if  they  are  saved,  they  will  reply  "  Yes."     And 
then  if  you  ask  them  upon  what  they  are  resting  as  the 
ground  of  their  acceptance  before  God,  they  will  reply 


The  Baptiom  Witb  the  Holy  Spirit     215 

something  to  this  effect,  "  I  am  not  resting  upon  any- 
thing I  ever  did,  or  upon  anything  I  am  ever  going  to 
do }  I  am  resting  upon  what  Jesus  Christ  did  for  me 
when  He  bore  my  sins  in  His  own  body  on  the  cross. 
I  am  resting  in  His  finished  work  of  atonement."  If 
this  is  what  you  arc  really  resting  upon,  then  you  are 
saved,  you  have  accepted  Jesus  Christ  as  your  Saviour 
and  you  have  taken  the  first  step  towards  the  baptism 
with  the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  same  thought  is  taught  elsewhere  in  the  Bible, 
for  example  in  Gal.  iii.  2.     Here  Paul  asks  of  the  be- 
lievers in  Galatia,  "  Received  ye  the  Holy  Spirit  by  the 
works  of  the  law,  or  by  the  hearing  0/ faith?"     Just 
what  did  he  mean  ?     On  one  occasion  when  Paul  was 
passing  through  Galatia,  he  was  detained  there  by  some 
physical  infirmity.     We  are  not  told  what  it  was,  but 
at  all  events,  he  was  not  so  ill  but  that  he  could  preach 
to  the  Galatians  the  Gospel,  or  glad  tidings,  that  Jesus 
Christ  had  redeemed  them  from  the  curse  of  the  law  by 
becoming  a  curse  in  their  place,  by  dying  on  the  cross 
of  Calvary,    These  Galatians  believed  this  testimony  j 
this  was  the  hearing  of  faith,  and  God  set  the  stamp  of 
His  endorsement  upon  their  faith  by  giving  them  as  a 
personal  experience  the  Holy  Spirit.     But  after  Paul 
had   left   Galatia,  certain  Judaizers  came  down  from 
Jerusalem,   men   who    were   substituting   the   law   of 
Moses  for  the  Gospel  and  taught  them  that  it  was  not 
enough  that  they  simply  believe  on  Jesus  Christ  but  in 
addition  to  this  they  must  keep  the  law  of  Moses, 
especially  the  law  of  Moses  regarding  circumcision, 
and    that    without  circumcision   they   could    not    be 


1^' 


2i6  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


saved — /.  /.,    they    could    not    be    saved    by   simple 
faith  in  Jesus  (cf.  Acts  xv.  i).     These  young   con- 
verts   in    Galatia   became   all   upset.     They  did   not 
know  whether  they  were  saved  or  not ;  they  did  not 
know  what  they  ought  to  do,  and  all  was  confusion. 
It  was  just  as  when  modern  Judaizers  come  around  and 
get  after  young  converts  and  tell  them  that  in  addition 
to  believing  in  Jesus  Christ,  they  must  keep  the  Mosaic 
Seventh  Day  Sabbath,  or  they  cannot  be  saved.     This 
is  simply  the  old  controversy  breaking  out  at  a  new 
point.      When    Paul    heard   what   had   happeneu   in 
Galatia,  he  was  very  indignant  and  wrote  the  Epistle  to 
the  Galatians  simply  for  the  purpose  of  exposing  the 
utter  error  of  these  Judaizers.     He  showed  them  how 
Abraham  himself  was  justified  before  he  was  circumcised 
by  simply  believing  God  (Gal.  iii.  6),  and  how  he  was 
circumcised  after  he  was  justified  as  a  seal  of  the  faith 
which  he  already  had  while  he  was  in  uncircumcision. 
But  in  addition  to  this  proof  of  the  error  of  the  Judaizers, 
Paul  appeals  to  their  own  personal  experience.     He  says 
to  them, "  You  received  the  Holy  Spirit,  did  you  not  ?  " 
"  Yes."     "  How  did  you   receive  the  Holy  Spirit,  by 
keeping  the  law  of  Moses,  or  by  the  hearing  of  faith, 
the  simple  accepting  of  God's  testimony  about  Jesus 
Christ  that  your  sins  were  laid  upon  Him,  and  that  you 
are  thus  justified  and  saved  ? "     The  Galatians  had  had 
a  very  definite  experience  of  receiving  the  Holy  Spirit 
and  Paul  appeals  to  it,  and  recalls  to  their  mind  how  it 
was  by  the  simple  hearing  of  faith  that  they  had  re- 
ceived the  Holy  Spirit.     The  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
God's  seal  upon  the  simple  acceptance  of  God's  testi- 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     217 

nony  about  Jetut  Christ,  that  our  tint  were  laid  upon 
Him,  and  thus  trusting  God  to  forgive  us  and  justify  us. 
This  then  is  the  first  step  towards  receiving  the  Holy 
Spirit.  But  we  must  not  only  receive  Jesus  as  Saviour, 
we  must  also  receive  Him  as  Lord.  Of  this  we  shall 
speak  further  in  connection  with  another  passage  in  the 
fourth  step. 

2.    The  second  step  in  the  path  that  leads  into  the 
blessing  of  being  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  is  re- 
nunciation of  sin.     Repentance  as  we  have  seen  is  a 
change  of  mind  about  sin  as  well  as  a  change  of  mind 
about  Christ ;  a  change  of  mind  from  that  attitude  of 
mind  that  loves  sin  and  indulges  sin  to  that  attitude  of 
mind  that  hates  sin  and  renounces  sin.     This  then  is 
the  second  step — renunciation  of  sin.     The  Holy  Spirit 
is  a  Holy  Spirit  and  we  cannot  have  both  Him  and  sin. 
We  must  make  our  choice  between  the  Holy  Spirit  and 
unholy  sin.     We  cannot  have  both.     He  that  will  not 
give  up  sin  cannot  have  the   Holy  Spirit.     It  is  not 
enough  that  we  renounce  one  sin  or  two  sins  or  three 
sins  or  many  sins,  we  must  renounce  all  sin.     If  we 
cling  to  one  single  known  sin,  it  will  shut  us  out  of  the  * 
blessing.     Here  we  find  the  cause  of  failure  in  many 
people  who  are  praying  for  the  baptism  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  going  to  conventions  and  hearing  about  the  bap- 
tism with  the  Holy  Spirit,  reading  books  about  the  bap- 
tism with    the   Holy  Spirit,  perhaps  spending  whole 
nights  in  prayer  for  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  yet  obtaining  nothing.     Why  ?     Because  there  is 
some  sin  to  which  they  are  clinging.     People  often  say 
to  me,  or  write  to  me,  "  I  have  been  praying  for  the 


.1' 


1  -«   * 


218  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  for  a  year  (five  yean,  ten 
yeara,  one  man  said  twenty  years).  Why  do  I  not  re- 
ceive ?  "  In  many  such  cases,  I  feel  led  to  reply,  "  It 
is  sin,  and  if  I  could  look  down  into  your  heart  this 
moment  is  God  looks  into  your  heart,  I  could  put  my 
finger  on  the  specific  sin."  It  may  be  what  you  are 
pleased  to  call  a  small  sin,  but  there  are  no  small  sins. 
There  are  sins  that  concern  small  things,  but  every  sin 
is  an  act  of  rebellion  against  God  and  therefore  no  sin 
is  a  small  sin.  A  controversy  with  God  about  the 
smallest  thing  is  sufficient  to  shut  one  out  of  the  bless- 
ing. Mr.  Finney  tells  of  a  woman  who  was  greatly 
exercised  about  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Every  night  after  the  meetings,  she  would  go  to  her 
rooms  and  pray  way  into  the  night  and  her  friends  were 
afraid  she  would  go  insane,  but  no  blessing  came.  One 
night  as  she  prayed,  some  little  matter  of  head  adorn- 
ment, a  matter  that  would  probably  not  trouble  many 
Christians  to-day,  but  a  matter  of  controversy  between 
her  and  God,  came  up  (as  it  had  often  come  up  before) 
as  she  knelt  in  prayer.  She  put  her  hand  to  her  head 
and  took  the  pins  out  of  her  hair  and  threw  them  across 
the  room  and  said,  «  There  go  !  "  and  instantly  the  Holy 
Ghost  fell  upon  her.  It  was  not  so  much  the  matter 
of  head  adornment  as  the  matter  of  controversy  with 
God  that  had  kept  her  out  of  the  blessing. 

If  there  is  anything  that  always  comes  up  when  you 
get  nearest  to  God,  that  is  the  thing  to  deal  with. 
Some  years  ago  u  a  convention  in  a  Southern  state,  the 
presiding  officer,  a  minister  in  the  Baptist  Church, 
called  my  attention  to  a  man  and  said,  **  That  man  is 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     219 


the  pope  of  our  denomination  in 


everything 


he  tays  goes,  but  he  is  not  at  all  with  us  in  this  matter, 
but  I  am  glad  to  see  him  here."     This  minister  kept 
attending  the  meetings.     At  the  close  of  the  last  meet- 
ing where  I  had  spoken  upon  the  conditions  of  receiv- 
ing the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  I  found  this  man 
awaiting  me  in  the  vestibule.     He  said,  "  I  did  not 
stand  up  on  your  inviution  to-day."     I  replied, "  I 
taw  you  did  not."     "  I  thought  you  said,"  he  contin- 
ued, *'  that  you  only  wanted  those  to  stand  who  could 
say  they  had  absolutely  surrendered  to  God  ? "     "  That 
is  what  I  did  say,"  I  replied.     "  Well,  I  could  not  say 
that."     "  Then  you  did  perfectly  right  not  to  stand.     I 
did  not  want  you  to  lie  to  God."     "  Say,"  he  contin- 
ued, **  you  hit  me  pretty  hard  to-day.     You  said  if  there 
was  anything  that  always  comes  up  when  you  get  near- 
est to  God,  that  is  the  thing  to  d-ial  with.     Now  there 
is  something  that  always  comes  up  when  I  get  nearest 
to  God.     I  am  not  going  to  tell  you  what  it  is.     I 
think  you  know."     "  Yes,"  I  replied.     (I  could  smell 
it.)    "Well,  I  simply  wanted  to  say  this  to  you." 
This  was  on  Friday  afternoon.     I  had  occasion  to  go 
to  another  city,  and  returning  through  that  city  the  fol- 
lowing Tuesday   morning,  the  minister  who  had  pre- 
sided at  the  meeting  was  at  the  station.     "  I  wish  you 
"ould  have  been  in  our  Baptist  ministers'  meeting  yes- 
terday morning,"  he  said  ;  "  that  man  I  pointed  out  to 
you  from  the  north  part  of  the  state  was  present.     He 
got  up  in  our  meeting  and  said,  *  Brethren,  we  have 
been   all  wrong  about  this  matter,'  and  then  he  told 
what  he  had  done.     He  had  settled  his  controversy 


« 


f  ; 
I  i 
i  1 


'ill 


220  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

with   God,  had  given  up  the  thing  which  had  always 
come  up  when  he  got  nearest  to  God,  then  he  contin* 
ued  and  said,  *  Brethren,  I  have  received  a  more  definite 
experience  than  I  had  when  I  was  converted.'  "    Just 
such  an  experience  is  waiting  many  another,  both  min- 
ister and  layman,  just  as  soon  as  he  will  judge  his  sin, 
just  as  soon  as  he  will  put  away  the  thing  that  is  a  mat- 
ter of  controversy  between  him  and   Cod,  no  matter 
how  small  the  thing  may  seem.     If  any  one  sincerely 
desires  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  should  go 
alone  with  God  and  ask  God  to  search  him  and  bring 
to  light  anything  in  his  heart  or  life  that  is  displeasing 
to  Him,  and  when  He  brings  it  to  light,  he  should  put 
it  away.     If  after  sincerely  waiting  on  God,  nothing  is 
brought  to  light,  then  we  may  proceed  to  take  the  other 
steps.     But  there  is  no  use  praying,  no  use  going  to 
conventions,  no  use  in  reading  books  about  the  baptism 
with  the  Holy  Spirit   no  use  in  doing  anything  else, 
until  we  judge  our  sins. 

3.  The  third  step  is  an  open  confession  of  our  rtnun- 
ciation  of  sin  and  our  acceptance  of  Jesus  Christ.  After 
telling  his  hearers  to  repent  in  Acts  ii.  38,  Peter  con- 
tinues and  tells  them  to  be  "  baptized  every  one  of  you 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  unto  the  remission  of  your 
sine."  Heart  repentance  alone  was  not  enough.  There 
mur.t  be  an  open  confession  of  that  repentance,  and 
GoJ's  appointed  way  of  confession  of  repentance  is 
baptism.  None  of  those  to  whom  Peter  spoke  had 
ever  been  baptized,  and,  of  course,  what  Peter  meant 
in  that  case  was  water  baptism.  But  suppose  one  has 
already  been  baptized,  what  then  ?     Even  in  that  case. 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     221 

diere  mutt  be  that  for  which  baptism  stands,  namely, 
an  open  confession  of  our  renunciation  of  sin  and  our 
acceptance  of  Jesus  Christ.     The  baptism  with  the 
Spirit  is  not  for  the  secret  disciple,  but  for  the  open 
confessed  disciple.     There  are  many  doubtless  to-day 
who  are  trying  to  be  Christians  in  their  hearts,  many 
who  really  believe  that  they  have  accepted  Jesus  as 
their  Saviour  and  their  Lord  and  have  renounced  sin, 
but  they  are  not  willing  to  make  an  open  confession  of 
their  renunciation  of  sin  and  their  acceptance  of  Christ. 
Such  an  one  cannot  have  the  baptism  with  the  Holy 
Spirit.     Some  one   may   ask,  "Do   not   the   Friends 
("  Quakers  "),  who  do  not  believe  in  water  baptism,  give 
evidence   of  being   baptized   with  the  Holy  Spirit?" 
Doubtless  many  of  them  do,  but  this  does  not  alter  the 
teaching  of  God's  Word.     God  doubtless  condescends 
in  many  instances  where  people  are  misled  as  to  the 
teaching  of  His  Word  to  their  ignorance,  if  they  are 
sincere,  but  that  fact  does  not  alter  His  Word,  and 
even  with  a  member  of  the  congregation  of  Friends, 
who  sincerely  does  not  believe  in  water  baptism,  there 
must  be  before  the  blessing  is  received  that  for  which 
baptism  stands,  namely,  the  open  confession  of  our  ac- 
ceptance of  Christ  and  of  our  renunciation  of  sin.         > 
4.      The  fourth  step    is  absolute  surrender  to  God. 
This  comes  out  in  what  has  been  already  said,  namely, 
that  we  must  accept  Jesus  as  Lord  as  well  as  Saviour. 
It  is   stated  explicitly   in  Acts  v.  32,  "And  we  arc 
His  witnesses  of  these  things;  and  so  is  also  the  Holy 
Ghosty  whom   God  hath  given  to  them  that  obey  Him." 
That  is  the  fourth  step, "  obey  Him,"  obedience.     But 


w 


222  The  Penon  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

what  does  obedience  mean  i  Some  one  will  tay,  doing 
aa  we  are  told.  Right,  but  doing  how  much  that  we 
are  told  i  Not  merely  one  thing  or  two  things  or  three 
things  or  four  things,  but  all  things.  The  heart  of 
obedience  is  in  the  will,  the  cisence  of  obedience  is  the 
u  ender  of  the  will  to  God.  It  is  going  to  God  our 
heavenly  Father  and  saying,  **  Heavenly  Father,  here  I 
am.  I  am  Thy  property.  Thou  hast  bought  me  with 
a  price.  I  acknowledge  Thine  ownership,  and  sur- 
render itiyself  and  all  that  I  am  absolutely  to  Thee. 
Send  me  where  Thou  wilt  i  do  with  me  what  Thou 
wilt  i  use  me  as  Thou  wilt."  This  is  in  most  instances 
the  decisive  step  in  receiving  the  baptism  with  the  Holy 
Spirit.  In  the  Old  Testament  types  it  was  when  the 
whole  burnt  offering  was  laid  ui^on  the  altar,  nothing 
kept  back  within  or  without  the  sacrificial  animal,  that 
r^'e  file  came  forth  from  the  Holy  Place  where  God 
dwelt  and  accepted  and  consumed  the  gift  upon  the 
altar.  And  so  it  is  to-day,  in  the  fulfillment  of  the  type, 
when  we  lay  ourselves,  a  whole  burnt  offering,  upon  the 
altar,  keeping  nothing  within  or  without  back,  that  the 
fire  of  God,  the  Holy  Spirit,  descends  from  the  real 
Holy  Place,  heaven  (of  which  the  Most  Holy  Place  in 
the  tabernacle  was  simply  a  type),  and  accepts  the  gift 
upon  the  altar.  When  we  can  truly  say,  ^^  My  all  is 
on  the  altar,"  then  we  shall  not  have  long  to  wait  for 
the  fire.  The  lack  of  this  absolute-  surrender  is  shut- 
ting many  out  of  the  blessing  to-day.  People  turn  the 
keys  of  almost  every  closet  in  their  heart  over  to  God, 
but  there  is  some  small  closet  of  which  they  wish  to 
keep  the  key  themselves,  and  the  blessing  does  not  come. 


li' 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     223 

At  a  convention  in  Waihington,  D.  C,  on  the  lut 
night,  I  had  spoken  on  How  to  Receive  the  Baptism 
with  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  Spirit  Himself  was  present 
in  mighty  power  that  night.  The  chaplain  of  one  of 
the  houses  had  said  to  me  at  the  cir  $e  of  the  meeting, 
»*  It  almost  seemed  as  if  I  could  see  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
thio  place  to-night."  There  were  many  to  be  dealt 
with.  About  two  hours  after  the  meeting  closed,  about 
eleven  o'clock,  a  worker  came  to  mc  and  said,  "  Do  you 
see  that  young  woman  over  to  the  right  with  whom  Miss 

W is  speaking?"    "Yes."    "  Well,  she  has  been 

dealing  with  her  for  two  hours  and  she  is  in  awful  agony. 
Won't  you  come  and  see  if  you  can  help  ?  "  I  went 
into  the  seat  back  of  this  woman  in  distress  and  asked 
her  her  trouble.  "  Oh,"  she  said,  "  I  came  from  Balti- 
more to  receive  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
I  cannot  go  back  to  Baltimore  until  I  have  received 
Him."  "  Is  your  will  laid  down  ? "  I  asked.  "  I  am 
afraid  not."  "  Will  you  lay  it  down  now  ?  "  "I  can- 
not." "  Are  you  willing  that  God  should  lay  it  down 
for  you?"  "Yes."  "Ask  Him  to  do  it."  She 
bowed  her  head  in  prayer  and  asked  God  to  empty  her 
of  her  will,  to  lay  it  down  for  her,  to  bring  it  into  con- 
formity to  His  will,  in  absolute  surrender  tb  His  own. 
When  the  prayer  was  finished,  I  said, "  Is  it  laid  down  ? " 
She  said,  "  It  must  be.  I  have  asked  something  ac- 
cording to  His  will.  Yes,  it  is  done."  I  said,  "  Ask 
Him  for  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit."  She 
bowed  her  head  again  in  brief  prayer  and  asked  God  to 
baptize  ner  wi«^'  .he  Holy  Spirit  and  in  a  few  moments 
looked   up   wii.    peace  in  her  heart  and  in  her  face. 


224  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


i 


Why  ?  Because  she  had  surrendered  her  wiU.  She 
had  met  the  conditions  and  God  had  given  tb'-  l*icisaig. 
5.  The  fifth  step  is  an  intense  desire /or  he  baptism 
with  the  Holy  Spirit.  Jesus  says  in  John  « \\,  37-39, 
*^  If  any  man  thirsty  let  him  come  unto  Me  and  driuk. 
He  that  believeth  on  Me,  as  the  Scripture  hath  said, 
out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living  water.  But 
this  spake  He  of  the  Spirit,  which  they  that  believe  on 
Him  should  receive."  Here  again  we  have  belief  on 
Jesus  as  the  condition  of  receiving  the  Holy  Spirit  but 
we  have  also  this, "  If  any  man  thirst."  Doubtless  when 
Jesus  spake  these  words  He  had  in  mind  the  Old  Tes- 
tament promise  in  Isa.  xliv.  3,  "  For  I  will  oour  water 
upon  him  that  is  thirsty,  and  fioods  upon  the  dry  ground  : 
I  will  pour  My  Spirit  upon  thy  seed,  and  My  blessing 
upon  thine  offspring."  In  both  these  passages  thirst 
is  the  condition  of  receiving  the  Holy  Spirit.  What 
does  it  mean  to  thirst  ?  When  a  man  really  thirsts,  it 
seems  as  if  every  pore  in  his  body  had  just  one  cry, 
"  Water !  Water  !  Water !  "  Apply  this  to  the 
matter  in  question  ;  when  a  man  thirsts  spiritually,  his 
■whole  being  has  but  one  cry,  *'  The  Holy  Spirit !  The 
Holy  Spirit !  The  Holy  Spirit !  "  As  long  as  one 
fancies  he  can  get  along  somehow  without  the  baptism 
with  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  is  not  going  to  receive  that 
baptism.  As  long  as  one  is  casting  about  for  some  new 
kind  of  church,  machinery,  or  new  style  of  preaching, 
or  anything  else,  by  which  he  hopes  to  accomplish  what 
the  Holy  Spirit  only  can  accomplish,  he  will  not  receive 
Se  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  As  long  as  one  tries 
o  find  some  subtle  system  of  exegesis  to  read  out  of 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     22  J 

the  New  Testament  what  God  has  put  into  it,  namely, 
the  absolute  necessity  that  each  believer  receive  the 
baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  as  a  definite  experience, 
he  is  not  going  to  receive  the  baptism  with  the  Holy 
Spirit.  As  long  as  a  man  tries  to  persuade  himself  that 
he  has  received  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  when 
he  really  has  not,  he  is  not  going  to  receive  the  baptism 
with  the  Holy  Spirit.  But  when  one  gets  to  the  place 
where  he  sees  the  absolute  necessity  that  he  be  baptized 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  as  a  definite  experience  and  desires 
this  blessing  at  any  cost,  he  is  far  on  the  way  towards 
receiving  it.  At  a  state  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation Convention,  where  I  had  spoken  on  the  Baptism 
with  the  Holy  Spirit,  two  ministers  went  out  of  the 
meeting  side  by  side.  One  said  to  the  other,  "  That 
kind  of  teaching  leads  either  to  fanaticism  or  despair." 
He  did  not  attempt  to  show  that  it  was  unscriptural. 
He  felt  condemned  and  was  not  willing  to  admit  his 
lack  and  seek  to  have  it  supplied,  and  so  he  tried  to 
avoid  the  condemnation  that  came  from  the  Word  by 
this  bright  remark,  '^  that  kind  of  teaching  leads  either 
to  fanaticism  or  despair."  Such  a  man  will  not  receive 
the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  until  he  is  brought  to 
himself  and  acknowledges  honestly  his  need  and  in- 
tensely desires  to  have  it  supplied.  How  different  an- 
other minister  of  the  same  denomination  who  came  to 
me  one  Sunday  morning  at  Northfield.  I  was  to  speak 
that  morning  on  How  to  Receive  the  Baptism  with  the 
Holy  Spirit.  He  said  to  me, "  I  have  come  to  Northfield 
from  for  just  one  purpose,  to  receive  the  bap- 
tism with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  I  would  rather  die  than  go 


1 


226   The  Person  and  Work  oi  the  Holy  Spirit 

back  to  my  church  without  receiving  it."  I  said, "  My 
brother,  yu  are  going  to  receive  it."  The  following 
morning  he  came  very  early  to  my  house.  He  said, 
*^  I  have  to  go  away  on  the  early  train  but  I  came  around 
to  tell  you  before  I  went  that  I  have  received  the  bap- 
tism with  the  Holy  Spirit." 

6.  The  sixth  step  is  definite  prayer  for  the  baptism 
with  the  Holy  Spirit.  Jesus  says  in  Luke  xi.  13,  *^If 
ye  then,  being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  unto 
your  children :  how  much  more  shall  your  heavenly 
Father  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  Him." 
This  is  very  explicit.  Jesus  teaches  us  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  given  in  answer  to  definite  prayer — just  ask 
Him.  There  are  many  who  tell  us  that  we  should  not 
pray  for  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  they  reason  it  out  very 
speciously.  They  say  that  the  Holy  Spirit  was  given 
as  an  abiding  gift  to  the  church  at  Pentecost,  and  why 
pray  for  what  is  already  given  ?  To  this  the  late 
Rev.  Dr.  A.  J.  Gordon  well  replied  that  Jesus  Christ 
was  given  as  an  abiding  gift  to  the  world  at  Calvary 
(John  iii.  16),  but  what  was  given  to  the  world  as  a 
whole  each  individual  in  the  world  must  appropriate  to 
himself;  and  just  so  the  Holy  Spirit  was  given  to  the 
church  as  an  abiding  gift  at  Pentecost,  but  what  was 
given  to  the  church  as  a  whole  each  individual  in  the 
church  must  appropriate  to  himself,  and  God's  way  of 
appropriation  is  prayer.  But  those  who  say  we  should 
not  pray  for  the  Holy  Spirit  go  further  still  than  this. 
They  tell  us  that  every  believer  already  has  the  Holy 
Spirit  (which  we  have  already  seen  is  true  in  a  sense), 
and  why  pray  for  what  we  already  have  ?     To  this  the 


The  Baptism  With  the  rioly  Spirit     227 

very  simple  answer  is,  that  it  is  one  thing  to  have  the 
Holy  Spirit  dwelling  way   back  of  consciousness  in 
some  hidden  sanctuary  of  the  being  and  something  quite 
different,  and  vastly  more,  to  have  Him  take  possession 
of  the  whole  house  that  He  inhabits.     But  against  all 
these  specious  arguments  we  place  the  simple  word  of 
Jesus  Christ,  "  How  much  more  shall  your  heavenly 
Father  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  Him." 
It  will  not  do  to  say,  as  has  been  said,  that  ^^this 
promise  was  for  the  time  of  the  earth  life  of  our  Lord, 
and  to  go  back  to  the  promise  of  Luke  xi.  13  is  to  for- 
get Pentecost,  and  to  ignore  the  truth  that  now  every 
believer  has  the  indwelling  Spirit ;  "    for  we  find  that 
after  Pentecost  as  well  as    ^efore,  the  Holy  Spirit  was 
given  to  '.'lievers  in  answer  to  definite  prayer.     For 
example,  \      read  in  Acts  iv.  31,  R.  V.,  "  When  they 
had  prayed^  the  place  was  shaken  wherein  they  were 
gathered  together,  and  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  they  spake  the  Word  of  God  with  boldness." 
Again  m  Acts  viii.   15,  16,  we  read  that  vhen  Peter 
and  John  were  come  down  and  saw  the  believers  in 
Samaria  they  "  prayed /or  them  that  they  might  receive  the 
Holy  Ghost,  for  as  yet  He  was  /alien  upon  none  of  them, 
only  they  were  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus." 
Again  in  the  Epistle  of  Paul  to  the  Ephesians,  Paul 
tells  the  believers  in  Ephesus  that  he  was  praying  for 
them   that   they    might   be   strengthened  with    power 
through  His  Spirit  (Eph.  iii.  16).     So  right  through  the 
New  Testament  after  Pentecost,  as  well  as  before,  by 
specific  teaching  and  illustrative  example,  we  are  taught 
that  the    Holy  Spirit  is  given   in  answer  to  definite 


m 


■?'r>3',*'' 


•  I 


M 


2x6  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

prayer.     At  a  Christian  workers'  convention  in  Boston, 
a  brother  came  to  me  and  said,  "  I  notice  that  you  are 
on  the  program  to  speak  on  the  Baptism  with  the  Holy 
Spirit."     "  Yes."     **  I  think  that  is  the  most  important 
subject  on  the  program.     Now  be  sure  and  tell  them 
not   to  pray  for  the   Holy  Spirit."     I  replied,  "  My 
brother,  I  will  be  sure  and  not  tell  them  that:   for 
Jesus   says,  *  How   much   more   shall   your   heavenly 
Father  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  Him  ? '  " 
"  Yes,  but  that  was  before  Pentecost."     "  How  about 
Acts  iv.  31,  R.  v.,  was  that  before  Pentecost  or  after  ? " 
He  said,  "It  was  certainly  after."     "Well,"  I  said, 
"  take  it  and  read  it."     "  And  when  they  had  prayed, 
the  place  where  they  were  gathered  together  was  shaken, 
and  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  spake 
the  Word  of  God  with  boldness."     "  How  about  Acts 
viii.   15,  16,  was   that   before    Pentecost   or  after?" 
"Certainly,  it  was   after."     "Take   it  and  read  it." 
**  Who  when  they  were  come  downprayed  for  them 
that  they  might  receive  the  Holy  Spirit,  for  as  yet  He 
was  fallen  on  none  of  them,  only  they  were  baptized  in 
the  name  of  Jesus."     He  had  nothing  more  to  say. 
What  was  there  more  to  say  ?     But  with  me,  it  is  not 
a  matter  of  mere  exegesis,  that  the  >Holy  Spirit  is  given 
in  answer  to  definite  prayer.     It  is  a  matter  of  personal 
and  indubitable  experience.     I  kn^w  just  as  well  that 
God  gives  the  Holy  Spirit  in  answer  to  prayer  as  I 
know  that  water   quenches   thirst   and   food    satisfies 
hunger.     In  my  first  experience  of  being  baptized  with 
the  Holy  Spirit,  it  was  while  I  waited  upon  God  in 
prayer  that  I  was  thus  baptized.     Since  then  time  and 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     229 

again  as  I  have  waited  on  God  in  prayer,  I  have  been 
definitely  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit.     Often  as  I  have 
knelt  in  prayer  with  others,  as  we  prayed  the  Holy 
Spirit  has  fallen  upon  us  just  as  perceptibly  as  the  rain 
ever  fell  upon  and  fructified  the  earth.     I  shall  never 
forget  one  experience  in  our  church  in  Chicago.     We 
were  holding  a  noon  prayer-meeting  of  the  ministers  at 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Auditorium,  preparatory  to  an  ex- 
pected visit  to  Chicago  of  Mr.  Moody.     At  one  of 
these  meetings  a  minister  sprang  to  his  feet  and  said, 
"What  we  need  in  Chicago  is  an  all-night  meeting 
of  the  ministers."     "  Very  well,"  I  said.    "  If  you  will 
come  up  to  Chicago  Avenue  Church  Friday  night  at 
ten  o'clock,  we  will  have  a  prayer-meeting  and  if  God 
keeps  us  all  night,  we  will  stay  all  night."     At  ten 
o'clock  on  Friday  night  four  or  five  hundred  people 
gathered  in  the  lecture-rooms  of  the  Chicago  Avenue 
Church.     They  were  not  all  ministers.     They  were 
not  all  men.     Satan  made  a  mighty  attempt  to  ruin  the 
meeting.     First  of  all  three  men  got  down  by  the  door 
and  knelt  down  by  chairs  and  pounded  and  shouted 
until  some  of  our  heads  seemed  almost  splitting,  and 
some  felt  they  must  retire  from  the  meeting ;  and  when 
a  brother  went  to  expostulate  with  them  and  urge  them 
that  things  be  done  decently  and  in  order,  they  swore 
at  the  brother  who  made  the  protest.     Still  later  a  man 
sprang  up  in  the  middle  of  the  room  and  announced 
that  he  was  Elijah.     The  poor  man  was  insane.     But 
these  things  were  distracting,  and  there  was  more  or 
less   of  confusion   until   nearly   midnight,   and   some 
thought  they  would  go  home.     But  it  is  a  poor  meet- 


il'.'  !'il 


B 

' . '  i  y 

■ 

\     ;■ 

m 

•     ■  ! 

■  '''' 

3  «      '  »       t 

230   The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

ing  that  the  devil  can  spoil,  and  some  of  us  were  there 
for  a  blessing  and  determined  to  remain  until  we  re- 
ceived it.  About  midnight  God  gave  us  complete  vic- 
tory over  all  the  discordant  elements.  Then  for  two 
hours  there  was  such  praying  as  I  have  rarely  heard  in 
my  life.  A  little  after  two  o'clock  in  the  mo'-ning  a 
sudden  hush  fell  upon  the  whole  gathering ;  we  were 
all  on  our  knees  at  the  time.  No  one  could  speak  > 
no  one  could  pray,  no  one  could  sing ;  all  you  could 
hear  was  the  subdued  sobbing  of  joy,  unspeakable  and 
full  of  glory.  The  very  air  seemed  tremulous  with  the 
presence  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  It  was  now  Saturday 
morning.  The  following  morning,  one  of  my  deacons 
came  to  me  and  said,  with  bated  breath,  "  Brother 
Torrey,  I  shall  never  forget  yesterday  morning  until 
the  latest  day  of  my  life."  But  it  was  not  by  any 
means  all  emotion.  There  was  solid  reality  that  could 
be  tested  by  practical  tests.  A  man  went  out  of  that 
meeting  in  the  early  morning  hours,  took  a  train  for 
Missouri.  When  he  had  transacted  his  business  in 
the  town  that  he  visited,  he  asked  the  proprietor  of 
the  hotel  if  there  was  any  meeting  going  on  in  the 
town  at  the  time.  He  said,  "  Yes,  there  is  a  pro- 
tracted meeting  going  on  at  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian Church."  The  man  was  himself  a  Cumberland 
Presbyterian.  He  went  to  the  church  and  when  the 
meeting  was  opened  he  arose  in  his  place  and  asked  the 
minister  if  he  could  speak.  Permission  was  granted, 
and  with  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  him,  he  so 
spoke  that  fifty-eight  or  fifty-nine  persons  professed  to 
accept  Christ  on  the  spot.     A  young  man  went  out  of 


ti  -i  . 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     231 

the  meeting  in  the  early  morning  hours  and  took  a 
train  for  a  city  in  Wisconsin,  and  I  soon  received  word 
from  that  city  that  thirty-eight  young  men  and  boys 
had  been  converted  while  he  spoke.  Another  young 
man,  one  of  our  students  in  the  Institute,  went  to  an- 
other part  of  Wisconsin,  and  soon  I  began  to  receive 
letters  from  ministers  in  that  neighbourhood  inquiring 
about  hin  and  telling  how  he  had  gone  into  the  school- 
houses  ard  churches  and  Soldiers'  Home  and  how  there 
were  conversions  wherever  he  spoke.  In  the  days  that 
followed  men  and  women  from  that  meeting  went  out 
over  the  earth  and  I  doubt  if  there  was  any  country 
that  I  visited  in  my  tour  around  the  world,  Japan, 
China,  Australia,  New  Zealand,  India,  etc.,  in  which  I 
did  not  find  some  one  who  had  gone  out  from  that 
meeting  with  the  power  of  God  upon  them.  For  me 
to  doubt  that  God  fills  men  with  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
answer  to  prayer  would  be  thoroughly  unscientific  and 
irrational.  I  know  He  does.  And  in  a  matter  like 
this,  I  would  rather  have  one  ounce  of  believing  ex- 
perience than  ten  tons  of  unbelieving  exegesis. 

7.  The  seventh  and  last  step  \%  faith.  We  read  in 
Mark  xi.  24,  "  Therefore  I  say  unto  you.  What  things 
soever  ye  desire,  when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive 
them  and  ye  shall  have  them."  No  matter  how  definite 
God's  promises  are,  we  only  realize  these  promises 
experimentally  when  we  believe.  For  example  we 
read  in  James  i.  5,  R.  V.,  "  But  if  any  of  you  lacketh 
wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God,  who  giveth  to  all 
liberally  and  upbraideth  not;  and  it  shall  be  given 
him."     Now  that  promise  is  as  positive  as  a  promise 


i  f  fHff 


if 


li 


ri! 


232   The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

can  be  but  we  read  in  the  following  verses,  "  But  let 
him  asi  in  fait,}  nothing  doubting :  for  he  that  doubteth 
is  like  the  surge  of  the  sea  driven  by  the  wind  and 
tossed.  For  let  not  that  man  think  that  he  shall  re- 
ceive anything  of  the  Lord}  a  double-minded  man, 
unstable  in  all  his  ways."  The  baptism  with  the 
Spirit,  as  we  have  already  seen,  is  for  those  believers  in 
Christ,  who  have  put  away  all  sin  and  surrendered  ab- 
solutely to  God,  who  ask  for  it,  but  even  though  we 
ask  there  will  be  no  receiving  if  we  do  not  believe. 
There  are  many  who  have  met  the  other  conditions  of 
receiving  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  yet  do 
not  receive,  simply  because  they  do  not  believe.  They 
do  not  expect  to  receive  and  they  do  not  receive.  But 
there  is  a  faith  that  goes  beyond  expectation,  a  fallh 
that  puts  out  its  hand  and  takes  what  it  asks  on  the 
spot.  This  comes  out  in  the  Revised  Version  of 
Mark  xi.  24,  *'  Therefore  I  say  unto  you.  All  things 
whatsoever  ye  pray  and  ask  for,  believe  that  ye  have  re- 
ceived them  and  ye  shall  have  them."  When  we  pray 
for  ihe  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  we  sh  uld  believe 
that  we  have  received  (that  is  that  God  has  granted  our 
prayer  and  therefore  it  is  ours)  and  then  we  shall  have 
the  actual  experience  of  that  which  we  have  asked. 
When  the  Revised  Version  came  out,  I  was  greatly 
puzzled  about  the  rendering  of  Mark  xi.  24.  I  had 
begun  at  the  beginning  of  the  New  Testament  and 
gone  right  through  comparing  the  Authorized  Ver- 
sion with  the  Revised  and  comparing  both  with  the 
best  Greek  text,  but  when  i  reached  this  passage,  I  was 
greatly   puzzled.      I    read    the    Authorized   Version, 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     233 


"  What  things  soever  ye  desire  when  ye  pray,  believe 
that  ye  receive  them  and  ye  shall  have  them,"  and  that 
seemed  plain  enough.  Then  I  turned  to  the  Revised 
Version  and  read,  "  All  things  whatsoever  ye  pray  and 
ask  for  believe  that  jt  have  received  them  and  ye  shall 
have  them."  And  I  said  to  myself,  "  What  a  confu- 
sion of  the  tenses.  Believe  that  ye  have  already  re- 
ceived (past),  and  ye  shall  have  afterwards  (future). 
What  nonsense."  Then  I  turned  to  my  Greek  Testa- 
ment and  I  found  whether  sense  or  nonsense,  the 
Revised  Version  was  the  correct  rendering  of  the 
Greek,  but  what  it  meant  I  did  not  know  for  years. 
But  one  time  I  was  studying  ind  expounding  to  my 
church  the  First  Epistle  of  John.  I  came  to  the  fifth 
chapter,  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  verses  (R.  V.)  and 
I  read,  *^  And  this  is  the  boldness  which  we  have  to- 
wards Him,  that,  if  we  ask  anything  according  to  His 
will.  He  heareth  us  :  and  if  we  know  that  He  heareth 
us  whatsoever  we  ask,  we  know  that  we  have  the 
petitions  which  we  have  asked  of  Him."  Then  I  un- 
derstood Mark  xi.  24.  Do  you  see  it  ?  If  not,  let  me 
explain  it  a  little  further.  When  we  come  to  God  in 
prayer,  the  first  question  to  ask  is.  Is  that  which  I  have 
asked  of  God  according  to  His  will  ?  If  it  is  promised 
in  His  Word,  of  course,  we  know  it  is  according  to 
His  will.  Then  we  can  say  with  i  John  v.  14, 1  have 
asked  something  according  to  His  will  and  I  know  He 
hears  me.  Thea  we  can  go  further  and  say  with  the 
fifteenth  verse.  Because  I  know  He  hears  what  I  ask,  I 
know  I  have  the  petition  which  I  asked  of  Him.  I 
may  not  have  it  in  actual  possession  but  I  know  it  is 


'il 


I  I 


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1*1 

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M|m^' 

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Mw 

hi 

U^  •,?, 

LL* 

234  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

mine  because  I  have  aiked  something  according  to  His 
will  and  He  has  heard  me  and  granted  that  which  I 
have  asked,  and  what  I  thus  believe  I  have  received 
because  the  Word  of  God  says  so,  I  shall  afterwards 
have  in  actual  exjierience.  Now  apply  this  to  the 
matter  before  us.  When  I  ask  for  the  baptism  with 
the  Holy  Spirit,  I  have  asked  something  according  to 
His  will,  for  Luke  xi.  13  and  Acts  li.  39  say  so,  there- 
fore I  know  my  prayer  is  heard,  and  still  further  I  know 
because  the  prayer  is  heard  that  I  have  the  petition 
which  I  have  asked  of  Him,  /.  ^.,  I  know  I  have  the 
baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  I  may  not  feel  it  yet 
but  I  have  received,  and  what  I  thus  count  mine  rest- 
ing upon  the  naked  word  of  God,  I  shall  afterwards 
have  in  actual  experience.  Some  years  ago  I  went  to 
the  students'  conference  at  Lake  Geneva,  Wisconsin, 
with  Mr.  F.  B.  Meyer,  of  London.  Mr.  Meyer  spoke 
that  night  on  the  Baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  At 
the  conclusion  of  his  address,  he  said,  **  If  any  of  you 
wish  to  speak  with  Mr.  Torrcy  or  myself  after  the  meet- 
ing is  over,  we  will  stay  and  speak  with  you."  A'young 
man  came  to  me  who  had  just  graduated  from  one  of  the 
Illinois  colleges.  He  said,  **  I  heard  of  this  blessing 
thirty  days  ago  and  have  been  praying  for  it  ever  since 
but  do  not  receive.  What  is  the  trouble  i "  "  Is  your 
will  laid  down  ?  "  I  asked.  "  No,"  he  said,  « I  am 
afraid  it  is  not."  "  Then,"  I  said,  "  there  is  no  use 
praying  until  your  will  is  laid  down.  Will  you  lay 
down  your  will  ?  "  He  said,  "  I  cannot."  *  Are  you 
willing  that  God  should  lay  it  down  for  you  ?  "  "  I 
am."     "  Let  us  kneel  and  ask  Him  to  do  it."     We 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     235; 

knelt  side  by  side  and  I  placed  my  Bible  open  at  i  juhn 
V.  I4f  15  on  the  chair  before  him.  He  asked  God  to 
lay  down  his  will  for  him  and  empty  him  of  his  self- 
will  and  to  bring  his  will  into  conformity  with  the  will 
of  God.  When  he  had  finished  the  prayer,  I  said, 
*''  Is  it  done  ?  "  He  said,  ^^  It  must  be.  I  have  asked 
something  according  to  His  will  and  I  know  He  hears 
me  and  I  know  I  have  the  petition  I  have  asked. 
Yes,  my  will  is  laid  down."  "  What  is  it  you 
desire  ? "  "  The  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit." 
»»  Ask  for  it."  Looking  up  to  God  he  said,  "  Heavenly 
Father,  baptize  me  with  the  Holy  Spirit  now."  "  Did 
you  get  what  you  asked  ?  "  I  asked.  "  I  don't  feel 
it,"  he  replied.  "  That  is  not  what  I  asked  you,"  I 
said.  "  Read  the  verse  before  you,"  and  he  read,  "  This 
is  the  boldness  which  we  have  towards  Him  that  if  we 
ask  anything  according  to  His  will  He  heareth  us." 
«What  do  you  know?"  I  asked.  He  said,  "I 
know  if  I  ask  anything  according  to  His  will  He  hears 
me."  "What  did  you  ask?"  "I  asked  for  the 
baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit."  "  Is  that  according  to 
His  will?"  "Yes,  Acts  ii.  39  says  so."  "What 
do  you  know  then?"  "I  know  He  has  heard  me." 
"Read  on."  "And  if  we  know  that  if  He  heareth 
us  whatsoever  we  ask,  we  know  that  we  have  the 
petitions  which  we  have  asked  of  Him."  "  What  do 
you  know  ?  "  I  asked.  "  I  know  I  have  the  petition 
I  asked  of  Him."  "What  was  the  petition  you 
asked  of  Him?"  "The  baptism  with  the  Holv 
Spirit."  "  What  do  you  know  ?  "  "  I  know  I  have 
the  baptism  with   the  Holy  Spirit.     I   don't   feel  it, 


T  1 1  inr 

n 


ii 


Mi 


236  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

but   God  tays  to."     We  arose  from  our  knees  and 
after   a    short    conversation    separated.     ^    left    Lake 
Geneva  the  next  morning,  but  returned  in  a  few  days. 
I  met  the  young  man  and  asked  if  he  had  really  re- 
ceived the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit.     He  did  not 
need  to  answer.     His  face  told  the  story,  but  he  did 
answer.     He   went   into   a   theol(^ical   seminary  the 
following  autumn,  was  given  a  church  his  junior  year 
in  the  seminary,  had  conversions  from  the  outset,  and 
the    next   year   on  the  Day   of  Prayer  for  Colleges, 
largely  through  his  influence  there  came  a  mighty  out- 
pouring of  the  Spirit  upon  the  seminary  of  which  the 
president  of  the  seminary   wrote  to  a  denominational 
paper,  that  it  was  a  veritable  Pentecost,  and  it  all  came 
through  this  young  man  who  received  the  baptism  with 
the  Holy  Spirit  through  simple  faith  in  the  Word  of 
God.     Any  one  who  will  accept  Jesus  as  their  Saviour 
and  their  Lord,   put  away   all  sin   out  of  their   life, 
publicly  confess  their  renunciation  of  sin  and  acceptance 
of  Jesus  Christ,  surrender  absolutely  to  God,  and  ask 
God  for  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  take  it 
by  simple  faith  in  the  naked  Wo'-d  of  God,  can  receive 
the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spmi  right  now.     There 
are  some  who  so  emphasize  tiw  matter  af  absolute  sur- 
render that  they  ignore,  or  ---ce  tenv.  =he  necessity  of 
prayer.      It   is   always   uwiwrtunaR    wiicn  one  so  em- 
phasizes one  side  of  soitrs  tiiat  he  'tsaes  sight  of  another 
side  which   mav  be  ctnalir  inimtirtant.     In  this  way, 
many  lose   the   DlesB^ng  «mich  &kJ  has  provided  for 
them. 

The    seven    'oeps    gives    asove    lead   with    abso- 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     237 

lute  certainty  into  the  bleiiing.     But  several  quettiona 
arise: 

I.  Mutt  w*  not  wait  until  wi  kntw  we  have  re- 
ceived the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  before  we  take  up 
Chrittian  work  f  Yes,  but  how  shall  we  know  f 
There  are  two  ways  of  knowing  anything  m  the  Chris- 
tian life.  First,  by  the  Word  of  God  i  second,  by  ex- 
perience or  feeling.  God's  order  is  to  know  things 
first  of  all  by  the  Word  of  God.  How  one  may  know 
by  the  Word  of  God  that  they  have  received  the  bap- 
tism with  the  Holy  Spirit  has  just  been  told.  We 
have  a  right  when  we  have  met  the  conditions  and  have 
definitely  asked  for  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
say,  ^*  It  is  mine,"  and  to  get  up  and  go  on  in  our  work 
leaving  the  matter  of  experience  to  God's  time  and 
place.  We  get  assurance  that  we  have  received  the 
baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  in  precisely  the  same 
way  that  we  get  assurance  of  our  salvation.  When  an 
inquirer  comes  to  you,  whom  you  have  reason  to  be- 
lieve really  has  received  Jesus  but  who  lacks  assurance, 
what  do  you  do  with  him  ?  Do  you  tell  him  to  kneel 
down  and  pray  until  he  gets  assurance  ?  Not  if  you 
know  hew  to  deal  with  a  soul.  You  know  that  true 
assum-s  comes  through  the  Word  of  God,  that  it  is 
through  what  is  "  written  "  that  we  are  to  know  that  we 
have  eternal  life  (i  John  v.  13).  So  you  take  the  in- 
quirer to  the  written  Word.  For  example,  you  take 
him  to  John  iii.  36.  You  tell  him  to  read  it.  He 
reads,  "  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting 
life."  You  ask  him,  "  Who  has  everlasting  life  ?  " 
He  replies  from  the  passage  before  him,  **  He  that  be- 


\i.-r 


it 


238  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

lieveth  on  the  Son."     "  How  many  who  believe  on  the 
Son  have  everlasting  life  ?  "     "  Every  one  that  believes 
on   the   Son."     »*  Do   you   know  this   to   be  true  ?  " 
"  Yes."      "  Why  ?  "      ''  Because     God     says     so." 
"  What  does  God  say  ?  "     "  God  says, »  He  that  be- 
lieveth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life.'  "     "  Do  you 
believe  on  the  Son?"    "Yes."     "What  have  you 
then  ?  "     He  ought  to  say, "  Everlasting  life,"  but  quite 
likely  he  will  not.     He  may  say, "  I  wish  I  had  ever- 
lasting life."     You  point  him   again  to  the  verse  and 
by  questions  bring  out  what  it  says,  and  you  hold  him 
to  it  until  he  sees  that  he  has  everlasting  life;  sees 
that  he  has  everlasting  life  simply  because  God  says  so. 
After  he  has  assurance  on  the  ground  of  the  Word,  he 
will   have   assurance   by  personal   experience,  by  the 
testimony  of  the  Spirit  in  his  heart.     Now  you  should 
deal  with  yourself  in  precisely  the  same  way  about  the 
baptism  with  the   Holy  Spirit.     Hold  yourself  to  the 
word   found   in  i   John   v.  14,  15,  and  know  that  you 
have  the  baptism  with  the  Spirit  simply  because  God 
says   so   in  His  Word,  whether  you   feel  it  or  not. 
Afterwards  you   will  know  it  by  experience.     God's 
order  is  always  :  first,  His  Word ;  second,  belief  in  His 
Word  i  third,  experience,  or   feeling.     We  desire  to 
change  God's  order,  and  have  first,  His  Word,  then 
feeling,  then  we  will  believe.     But  God  demands  that 
we  believe  on  His  naked  Word.     •'  Abraham  believed 
God  and  it  was  accounted  to  him  for  righteousness  " 
(Gal.  iii.  6 ;  cf.  Gen.  xv.  6).     Abraham  had  as  yet  no 
feeling  in  his  body  of  new  life  and  power.     He  just  be- 
lieved God  and  feeling  came  afttjrwards.     God  demands 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     239 

of  us  to-day,  as  He  did  Abraham  of  old,  that  we  simply 
take  Him  at  His  Word  and  count  the  thing  ours  which 
He  has  promised,  simply  because  He  has  promised  it. 
Afterwards  we  get  the  feeling  and  the  realization  of 
that  which  He  has  promised. 

2.  The  second  question  that  some  will  ask  is, 
"  Will  thert  be  no  manifestation  of  the  baptism  with  the 
Spirit  which  we  receive  f  Will  everything  be  just  as  it 
was  before,  and  if  it  will,  where  is  the  reality  and  use 
of  the  baptism  ?  "  Yes,  there  will  be  manifestation, 
very  definite  manifestation,  but  bear  in  mind  what  the 
character  of  the  manifestation  will  be,  and  when  the 
manifestation  is  to  be  expected.  When  is  the  mani- 
festation to  be  expected  ?  After  we  believe.  After  we 
have  received  on  simple  faith  in  the  naked  Word  of 
God.  And  what  will  be  the  character  of  the  manifes- 
tation ?  Here  many  go  astray.  They  have  read  the 
wonderful  experiences  of  Charles  G.  Finney,  John 
Wesley,  D.  L.  Moody  and  others.  These  men  tell 
us  that  when  they  were  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit 
they  had  wonderful  sensations.  Finney,  for  example, 
describes  it  as  like  great  waves  of  electricity  sweeping 
over  him,  so  that  he  was  compelled  to  ask  God  to  with- 
hold His  hand,  lest  he  die  on  the  spot.  Mr.  Moody, 
on  rare  occasions,  described  a  similar  experience. 
That  these  men  had  such  experiences,  I  do  not  for  a 
moment  question.  The  word  of  such  men  as 
Charles  G.  Finney,  D.  L.  Moody  and  others  is  to 
be  believed,  and  there  is  another  reason  why  I  cannot 
question  the  reality  of  these  experiences,  but  while 
these  men  doubtless  had  these  experiences,  there  is  not 


yv 


i 


ft!) 


240  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

a  passage  in  the  Bible  that  describes  such  an  experi- 
ence.    I  am  inclined  to  think  the  Apostles  had  them, 
but  if  they  had,  they  kept  them  to  themselves  and  it  is 
well  that  they  did,  for  if  they  had  put  them  on  record, 
that  is  what  we  would  be  looking  for  to-day.     But  what 
are  the  manifestations  that  actually  occurred  in  the  case 
of  the  Apostles  and  the  early  disciples  ?     New  power 
in  the  Lord's  work.     We  read  at  Pentecost  that  they 
were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  began  to  speak 
with    other  tongues   as   the  Spirit  gave  them   utterance 
(Acts  ii.  4).     Similar  accounts  are  given  of  what  oc- 
curred in  the  household  of  Cornelius  and  what  occurred 
in  Ephesus.     All  we  read  in  the  case  of  the  Apostle 
Paul  is  that  Ananias  came  in  and  said,  "  Brother  Saul, 
the  Lord,  even  Jesus,  that  appeared  unto  thee  in  the 
way  as  thou  camest,  hath  sent  me,  that  thou  mightest 
receive  thy  sight,  and  be  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost." 
Then  Ananias  baptized  him,  and  the  next  thing  we  read 
is  that  Paul  went  straight  down  to  the  synagogue  and 
preached  Christ  so  mightily  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit 
that  he  "  confounded  the  Jews  which  dwelt  at  Damascus, 
proving  that  this  is  very  Christ "  (Acts  ix.  17-22).     So 
right  through  the  New  Testament^  the  manifestation  that 
we    are   taught   to   expect^   and   the   manifestati  ^^    that 
actually  occurred  was  new  power  in  Christian  wo.    ,  and 
that  is  the  manifestation  that  we  may  expect  to-day  and 
we  need  not  look  too  carefully  for  that.     The  thing  for 
us  to  do  is  to  claim  God's  promise  and  let  God  take 
care  of  the  mode  of  manifestation. 

3.     The  third  question  that  will  arise  with  some  is. 
May  we  net  have  to  wait  for  the  baptism  with  the  Holy 


k 


m 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     241 

Spirit  f    Did  not  the  Apostles  have  to  wait  ten  days, 
and  may  we  not  have  to  wait  ten  days  or  even  more  ? 
No,  there  is  no  necessity  that  we  wait.     We  are  told 
distinctly  in  the  Bible  why  the  Apostles  had  to  wait  ten 
days.     In  Acts  ii.  i,  we  read,  «  And  when  the  day  of 
Pentecost  was  fuHy  come  "  (literally  «  When  the  day 
of  Pentecost  was  being  fulfilled,"  R.  V.,  margin).     Way 
back  in  the  Old  Testament  types,  and  back  of  that  in 
the  eternal  counsels  of  God,  the  day  of  Pentecost  was 
set  for  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  gathering 
of  the  church,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  could  not  be  given 
u'  'il  the  day  of  Pentecost  was  fully  come,  therefore 
the  Apostles  had  to  wait  until  the  day  of  Pentecost  was 
fulfilled,  but  there   was   no   waiting   after  Pentecost. 
There  was   no  waiting  for  example  in  Acts  iv.  31 ; 
scarcely  had  they  finished  the  prayer  when  the  place 
where  they  were  gathered  together  was  shaken  and 
"  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost."     There 
was  no  waiting  in  the  household  of  Cornelius.     They 
were  listening  to  their  first  Gospel  sermon  and  Peter 
said  as  the  climax  of  his  argument  "  to  Him  (that  is 
Jesus)  bear  all  the  prophets  witness  that  through  His 
name  every  one  that  believeth  on  Him  shall  receive 
remission  of  sins  "  (R.  V.),  and  no  sooner  had  Peter 
spoken  these  words  than  they  believed  and  "  the  Holy 
Ghost  fell  on  them  which  heard  the  word."     There 
was  no  waiting  in  Samaria  after  Peter  and  John  came 
down  and  told  them  about  the  baptism  with  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  prayed  with  them.     There  was  no  waiting 
in  Ephesus  after  Paul  came  and  told  them  that  there 
was  not  only  the  baptism  of  John  unto  repentance,  but  the 


242  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

baptism  of  Jesus  in  the  Holy  Spirit.    It  is  true  that 
they  had  been  waiting  some  time  until  then,  but  it  was 
simply  because  they  did  not  know  that  there  was  such 
a  baptism  for  them.     And  many  may  wait  to-day  be- 
cause they  do  not  know  that  there  is  the  baptism  with 
the  Spirit  for  them,  or  they  may  have  to  wait  because 
they  are  not  resting  in  the  finished  work  of  Christ,  or 
because  they  have  not  put  away  sin,  or  because  they 
have  not  surrendered  fully  to  God,  or  because  they  will 
not  definitely  ask  and  believe  anJ  take ;  but  the  reason 
for  the  waiting  is  not  in  God,  it  is  in  ourselves.     Any 
one  who  will,  can  lay  this  book  down  at  this  point,  uke 
the  steps  which  have  been  stated  and  immediately  re- 
ceive the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit.     1  would  not 
say  a  word  to  dissuade  men  from  spending  much  time 
in  waiting  upon  God  in  orayer  for  "  They  that  wait 
upon  the  Lord  shall  rem       ieir  strength  "  (Isa.  xl.  31). 
There  are  few  of  us  indct    in  these  days  who  spend  as 
many  hours  as  we  should  in  waiting  upon  God.     The 
writer  can  bear  joyful  testimony  to  the  manifest  out- 
pourings of  the  Spirit  that  have  come  time  and  ^ain  as 
he  has  waited  upon  God  through  the  hours  of  the  night 
with  believing  brethren,  but  the  point  I  would  empha- 
size is  that  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  may  be 
had  at  once.     The  Bible  proves  this ;  experience  proves 
it.     There  are  many  waiting  for  feeling  who  ought  to 
be  claiming  by  faith.     In  these  days  we  hear  of  many 
who  say  they  are  "  waiting  for  their  Pentecost " ;  some 
have  been  waiting  weeks,   some   have   been   waiting 
months,  some  have  been  waiting  years.     This  is  not 
Scriptural    and    it   is  dishonouring  to  God.    These 


?# 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     243 

brethren  have  an  unscriptural  view  of  what  constitutes 
Pentecost.     They  have  fixed  it  in  their  minds  that  cer- 
tain manifestations  are  to  occur  and  as  these  particular 
manifestations,  which  they  themselves  have  prescribed, 
do  not  come,  they  think  they  have  not  received  the 
Holy  Spirit.     There  are  many  who  have  been  led  into 
the  error,  already  confuted  in  this  book,  that  the  bap- 
tism with  the  Holy  Spirit  always  manifests  itself  in  the 
gift  of  tongues.     They  have  not  received  the  gift  of 
tongues  and  therefore  they  conclude  that  they  have  not 
received  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit.    But  as  already 
seen,  one  may  receive  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and 
not  receive  the  gift  of  tongues.     Others  still  are  waiting 
for  some  ecstatic  feeling.     We  do  not  need  to  wait  at  all. 
We  may  meet  the  conditions,  we  may  claim  the  bless- 
ing at  once  on  the  ground  of  God's  sure  Word.     There 
was  a  time  in  the  writer's  ministry  when  he  was  led  to 
say  that  he  would  never  enter  his  pulpit  again  until  he 
had  been  definitely  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and 
knew  it,  or  until  God  in  some  way  told  him  to  go.     I 
shut  myself  up  in  my   study  and  day  by  day  waited 
upon  God  for  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit.     It 
was   a  time  of  struggle.     The  thought  would  arise, 
"Suppose  you  do  not  receive  the  baptism  with  the  Holy 
Spirit  before  Sunday.     How  it  will  look  for  you  to  re- 
fuse to  go  into  your  pulpit,"  but  I  held  fast  to  my  reso- 
lution.    I  had  a  more  or  less  definite  thoi  ght  in  my 
mind  of  what  might  happen  when  I  was  baptized  with 
the  Holy  Spirit,  but  it  did  not  come  that  way  at  all. 
e  morning  as  I  waited  upon  God,  one  of  the  quiet- 
«i  and  calmest  moments  of  my  life,  it  was  just  as  if 


ii'ij!;' 


i    - 


f 


244  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

God  said  to  me, "  The  blessing  is  yours.    Now  go 
and  preach."     If  I  had  known  my  Bible  then  as  I  know 
it  now,  I  might  have  heard  that  voice  the  very  first  day 
speaking  to  me  through  the  Word,  but  I  did  not  know 
it  and  God  in  His  infinite  condescension,  looking  upon 
my  weakness,  spoke  •'  directly  to  my  heart.    There 
was  no  particular  ec^^.    y  or  emotion,  simply  the  calm 
assurance  that  the  blei    ig  was  mine.     I  went  into  my 
work  and  God  manifested   His  power  in  that  work. 
Some  time  passed,  I  do  not  remember  just  how  long, 
and  I  was  sitting  in  that  same  study.     I  do  not  remem- 
ber that  I  was  thinking  about  this  subject  at  all,  but 
suddenly  it  was  just  as  if  I  had  been  knocked  out  of  my 
chair  on  to  the  fioor,  and  I  lay  upon  my  face  crying, 
»» Glory  to  God !     Glory  to  God  ! "     I  could  not  stop. 
Some  power,  not  my  own,  had  taken  possession  of  my 
lips  and  my  whole  person.    The  writer  is  not  of  an 
excitable,  hysterical  or  even  emotional  temperament, 
but  I  lost  control  of  myself  absolutely.     I  had  never 
shouted  before  in  my  life,  but  I  could  not  stop.    When 
after  a  while  I  got  control  of  myself,!  went  to  my  wife 
and  told  her  what  had  happened.     I  tell  this  experience, 
not  to  magnify  it,  but  to  say  that  the  time  when  this 
wonderful    experience    (which  I   cannot  really   fully 
describe)  came  was  not  the  moment  when  I  was  bap- 
tized with  the  Holy  Spirit.     The  moment  when  I  was 
baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  was  in  that  calm  hour 
when  God  said,  "  It  is  yours.     Now  go  and  preach." 

There  is  an  afternoon  that  I  shall  never  forget.  It 
was  the  eighth  day  of  Jul/,  1894.  It  was  at  the  North- 
field  Students'  Convention.     I  had  spoken  that  mom- 


The  Baptism  With  the  Holy  Spirit     245 

ing  in  the  church  on  How  to  Receive  the  Baptism  with 
the  Holy  Spirit.     As  I  drew  to  a  close,  I  took  out  my 
watch  and  noticed  that  it  was  exactly  twelve  o'clock. 
Mr.  Moody  had  invited  us  to  go  up  on  the  mountain 
that  afternoon  at  three  o'clock  to  wait  upon  God  for 
the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit.     As  I  looked  at  my 
watch,  I  said,  "  Gentlemen,  it  is  exactly  twelve  o'clock. 
Mr.  Moody  has  invited  us  to  go  up  on  thr  mountain  at 
three  o'clock  to  wait  upon  God  for  the  baptism  with 
the  Holy  Spirit.     It  is  three  hours  until  three  o'clock. 
Some  of  you  cannot  wait  three  hours,  nor  do  you  need 
to  wait.     Go  to  your  tent,  go  to  your  room  in  the  hotel 
or  in  the  buildings,  go  out  into  the  woods,  go  anywhere, 
where  you  can  get  alone  with  God,  meet  the  rorditions 
of  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  claim  it  at 
once."     At  three  o'clock  we  gathered  in  front  of  Mr. 
Moody's  mother's  house ;  four  hundred  and  fifty-six  of 
us  in  all,  all  men  from  the  eastern  colleges.     (I  know 
the  number  because  Mr.  Paul  Moody  counted  us  as  we 
passed  through   the  gates  down  into  the  lots.)     We 
commenced   to  climb  the  mountainside.     After  we  had 
gone  some  disttnce,  Mr.  Moody  said, »» I  do  not  think  we 
need  to  go  further.     Let  us  stop  here."     We  sat  down 
and  Mr.  Moody  said,  «  Have  any  of  you  anything  to 
say  ?  "     One  after  another,  perhaps  seventy-five  men, 
arose  and  said  words  to  this  effect,  "  I  could  not  wait 
until  three  o'clock.     I  have  been  alone  with  God  and 
I  have   received   the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit." 
Then  Mr.  Moody  said,  "  I  can  see  no  reason  why  we 
should  not  kneel  right  down  here  now  and  ask  God 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  may  fall  on  us  as  definitely  as  He 


1 

m 

il 


246  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

fell  on  the  Apostlei  at  Pentecost.  Let  ui  ptzy."  We 
knelt  down  on  the  ground  i  some  of  us  lay  on  our 
faces  on  the  pine-needles.  As  we  had  gone  up  the 
mounulnside,  a  cloud  had  been  gathering  over  the 
mountain,  and  as  we  began  to  pray  the  cloud  broke  and 
the  rain-drops  began  to  come  down  upon  us  through 
the  overhanging  pine  trees,  but  another  cloud,  big  with 
mercyt  had  been  gathering  over  Northfield  for  ten  days 
and  our  prayers  seemed  to  pierce  that  cloud  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  fell  upon  us.  It  was  a  wonderful  hour. 
There  are  many  who  will  never  forget  it.  But  any 
one  who  reads  this  book  may  have  a  similar  hour  alone 
by  himself  now.  He  can  take  the  seven  steps  one  by 
one  and  the  Holy  Spirit  will  fall  upon  him. 


XXI 

The  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  Prophets  and 

Apostles 

Cjr'HE  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  apostles  and 
-I    prophets  is  an  entirely  distinctive  work     He  im- 
parts to  apostles  and  prophets  an  especial  gift  for 
an  especial  purpose. 

We   read   in    i  Cor.  xii.  4,  8-11,  28,  29,  R.  V., 
"  Now   there   are  diversities   of  gifts,   but  the  same 
Spirit.     ...     For  to  one  is  given  through  the  Spirit 
wisdom ;  and  to  another  the  word  of  knowledge,  ac- 
cording to  the  same  Spirit ;  to  another  faith,  in  the  same 
Spirit ;  and  to  another  gifts   of  healings,  in  the  one 
Spirit;  and  to  another  workings  of  miracles;  and  to 
anstber  prophecy ;  and  to  another  discerning  of  spirits  : 
to  another  divers  kinds  of  tongues ;  and  to  another  the 
interpretation  of  tongues :   but  all  these  worketh  the 
one  and  the  same  Spirit,  dividing  to  each  severally  even 
as  He  will.     ...     And  God  hath  set  some  in  the 
church,  first  apostles,  secondly  prophets,  thirdly  teachers, 
then  miracles,  then  gifts  of  healing,  helps,  governments, 
divers  kinds    of  tongues.     Are  all  apostles?     Are  all 
prophets?     Are  all  teachers?     Are  all  workers  of  mir- 
acles ?     Have    all    gifts  of  healings  ?     Do   all   speak 
with   tongues  ?  do  all  interpret  ? "     It  is  evident  from 

247 


248  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

these  vewei  that  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  In  apottlei 
and  prophets  is  of  a  distinctive  character. 

The  doctrine  is  becoming  very  common  and  very 
popular  in  our  day  that  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
preachers  and  teachers  and  in  ordinary  believers,  illumi- 
nating them  and  guiding  them  into  the  truth  and  open- 
ing their  minds  to  understand  the  Word  of  God  is  the 
same  in  kind  and  differs  only  in  degree  from  the  work 
of  the   Holy   Spirit   in   prophets  and  apostles.     It  is 
evident  from  the  passage  just  cited  that  this  doctrine  is 
thoroughly  unscriptural  and  untrue.     It  overlooks  the 
fact  so  clearly  stated  and  carefully  elucidated  that  while 
there  is  "the  same  Spirit"  there  are  "diversities  of 
gifts"  "diversities  of  administrations"  "diversities  of 
workings"   (1  Cor.   xii.   4-6)   and   that  "not  all  are 
prophets  "  and  "  not  all  are  apostles  "  (1  Cor.  xii.  29). 
A  very  scholarly  and  brilliant  preacher  seeking  to  mini- 
mize  the   difference   between   the  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  apostles  and  prophets  and  His  work  in  other 
men  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  Bible  says  that 
Bezaleel  was  to  be  «  filled  with  the  Spirit  of  God  "  to 
devise  the  work  of  the   tabernacle  (Ex.  xxxi.   i-n). 
He  gives  this  as  a  proof  that  the  inspiration  of  the 
prophet  does  not  differ  from  the  inspiration  of  the  artist 
or  architect,  but  in  doing  this,  he  loses  sight  of  the  fact 
that  the  tabernacle  was  to  be  built  after  the  "  pattern 
shown  to  Moses  in  the  Mount "  (Ex.  xxv.  9,  40)  and 
that  therefore  it  was  itself  a  prophecy  and  an  exposi- 
tion of  the  truth  of  God.     It  was  not  mere  architecture. 
It  was  the  Word  of  God  done  into  wood,  gold,  silver, 
brass,  cloth,  skin,  etc.     And  Bezaleel  needed  as  much 


[ft 


it. 


The  Holy  Spirit  in  Prophets  and  Apostles  249 

special  inspiration  to  reveal  the  truth  in  wood,  gold, 
silver,  brass,  etc.,  as  the  apostle  or  prophet  needs  it  to 
reveal  the  Word  of  God  with  pen  and  ink  on  parch- 
ment. There  is  much  reasoning  in  these  days  about 
inspiration  that  appeara  at  firet  sight  very  learned,  but 
that  will  not  bear  much  rigid  scrutiny  or  candid  com- 
parison with  the  exact  statements  of  the  Word  of  God. 
There  is  nothing  in  the  Bible  more  inspired  than  the 
tabernacle,  and  if  the  Destructive  Critics  would  study 
It  more,  they  would  give  up  their  ingenious  but  untena- 
ble theories  as  to  the  composite  structure  of  the 
Pentateuch. 

a.  Truth  hidden  from  man  for  ages  and  which 
they  had  not  discovered  and  could  not  discover  by  the 
unaided  processes  of  human  reasoning  has  been  re- 
veakd  to  apostles  and  propheU  in  the  Spirit. 

We   read    in  Eph.  iii.  3-5,  R.  V.,  «  By  rruelatien 
was  made  known  unto  me  the  mystery,  as  I  wrote  afore 
in  few  words,  whereby,  when  ye  read,  ye  can  perceive 
my  underetanding  in  the  mystery  of  Christ ;  which  in 
other  generations  was  not  made  known  unto  the  sons  of 
men,  as  it  hath  now  been  revealed  unto  His  holy  Apostles 
and  prophets  in  the  Spirit."     The  Bible  contains  truth 
that  men  had  never  discovered  before  the  Bible  stated 
it.     It  contains  truth  that  men  never  could  have  dis- 
covered if  left  to  themselves.     Our  heavenly  Father,  in 
great  grace,  has  revealed  this  truth  to  us  His  children 
through  His  servants,  the  apostles  and  the  prophets.     The 
Holy  Spirit  is  the  agent  of  this  revelation.     There  are 
many  who  tell  us  to-day  that  we  should  test  the  state- 
ments   of    Scripture   by   the    conclusions   of    human 


■  ; 


■1    '^ 

f 

II 

If 

1 

Hr  -1  ^2%i.^ 

■y  (  :W-! 

^^B- ^l  \/: 

250  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

reasoning  or  by  the  "  Chrittian  con«ciou»nett."  The 
folly  of  all  this  it  evident  when  we  bear  in  mind  that 
the  revelation  of  God  tranacendt  human  reasoning,  and 
that  any  consciousness  that  is  not  the  product  of  the 
study  and  absorption  of  Bible  truth  is  not  really  a 
Christian  consciousness.  The  fact  that  the  Bible  does 
contain  truth  that  man  never  had  discovered  we  know 
not  merely  because  it  is  so  stated  in  the  Scriptures,  but 
we  know  it  also  as  a  matter  of  fact.  There  is  not  one 
of  the  most  distinctive  and  precious  doctrines  taught  in 
the  Bible  that  men  have  ever  discovered  apart  from  the 
Bible.  If  our  consciousness  differs  from  the  state- 
ments of  this  Book,  which  is  so  plainly  God's  Book,  it 
is  not  yet  fully  Christian  and  the  thing  to  do  is  not  to 
try  to  pull  God's  revelation  down  to  the  level  of  our 
consciousness  but  to  tone  our  consciousness  up  to  the 
level  of  God's  Word. 

3.  The  revelation  made  to  the  prophets  was  in- 
dependent of  their  own  thinking.  It  was  made  to  them 
by  the  Spirit  of  Christ  which  was  in  them.  And  waj 
a  subject  of  inquiry  to  their  oum  mind  as  to  its  mean- 
ing.    It  was  not  their  oum  thought,  but  His. 

We  read  in  i  Peter  i.  10,  11,  12,  R.  V.,"  Concern- 
ing which  salvation  the  prophets  sought  and  searched 
diligently,  who  prophesied  of  the  grace  that  should  come 
unto  you:  searching  what  time  or  what  manner  ef  time 
the  Spirit  of  Christ  which  was  in  them  did  point  unto., 
when  it  (He)  testified  beforehand  the  sufferings  of 
Christ,  and  the  glories  that  should  follow  them.  To 
whom  it  was  revealed^  that  not  unto  themselves,  but  unto 
you,  did  they  minister  these  things,  which  now  have 


-  ill- 


The  Holy  Spirit  in  Prophets  and  Apostles  2^1 

been  announced  unto  you  through  them  that  preached 
the  Go»pel  unto  you  by  tht  Htly  Ghost  sent  forth  from 
heaven;  which  things  angels  desire  to  look  into." 
These  words  make  it  plain  that  a  Person  in  the 
prophets,  and  independent  of  the  prophets,  and  that 
Person  the  Holy  Spirit,  revealed  truth  which  was  in- 
dependent of  their  own  thinking,  which  they  did  not 
altogether  understand  themselves,  and  regarding  which 
it  was  necessary  that  they  make  diligent  search  and 
study.  Another  Person  than  themselves  was  thinking 
and  speaking  and  they  were  seeking  to  comprehend 
what  He  said. 

4.  No  prophet'' t  utterance  was  of  the  propheCs  otun 
will,  but  he  apoke  from  Ood,  and  the  prophet  was 
carried  along  in  his  utterance  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 

We  read  in  2  Peter  i.  21,  R.  V.,  «  For  no  prophtcy 
tvtr  came  by  the  will  of  man:  but  men  spake /r»«  God^ 
being  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost.*'  Clearly  then,  the 
prophet  was  simply  an  instrument  in  the  hands  of  an- 
other, as  the  Spirit  of  God  carried  him  along,  so  he 
spoke. 

5.  It  was  the  Holy  Spirit  tvho  spoke  in  the  pro- 
phetic utterances.  It  was  His  umrd  that  was  upon  the 
propheCs  tongue. 

We  read  in  Heb.  iii.  7,  « Wherefore  as  the  Holy 
Ghost  saithy  To-day  if  ye  will  hear  His  voice."  Again 
we  read  in  Heb.  x.  15,  16,  "  Whereof  the  Holy  Ghost 
also  is  a  witness  to  us  :  for  after  that  He  had  said  before. 
This  is  the  covenant  that  I  will  make  with  them  after 
those  days,  saith  the  Lord.  I  will  put  My  laws  into 
their  hearts,  and  in  their  minds  will  I  write  them." 


I  i 


m 


252  The  Person- and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

We  read  again  in  Acts  xxviii.  25,  R.  V.,  "  And  when 
they  agreed  not  among  themselves,  they  departed,  after 
that  Paul  had  spoken  the  word,  *  fFell  spake  the  Holy 
Ghost  by  Isaiah  the  prophet  unto  your  Tathers  saying, 
etc'  "     Still  again  we  read  in  2  Sam.  xxiii.  2,  R.  V., 
**  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  spate  by  w/,  and  His  word  was 
upon  my  tongue."     Over  and  over  again  in  these  pas- 
sages we  are  told  that  it  was  the  Holy  Spirit  who  was 
the  speaker  in  the  prophetic  utterances  and  that  it  was 
His  word,   not   theirs,  that  was   upon   the   prophet's 
tongue.     The  prophet  was  simply  the  mr-'th  by  which 
the  Holy  Spirit  spoke.     As  a  man,  that  ii»  .  xcept  as  the 
Spirit  taught  him  and  used  him,  the  prophet  might  be  as 
fallible  as  other  men  are  but  when  the  Spirit  was  upon 
him  and  he  was  taken  up  and  borne  along  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  he  was  infallible  in  his  teachings  ;  for  his  teach- 
ings in  that  case  were  not  his  own,  but  the  teachings  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.     When  thus  borne  along  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  it   was   God    who  was   speaking   and   not   the 
prophet.     For  example,  there  can  be  little  doubt  that 
Paul  had  many  mistaken  notions  about  many  things  but 
when  he  taught  as  an  Apostle  in  the  Spirit's  power,  he 
was  infallible— or  rather  the  Spirit,  who  taught  through 
him  was  infallible  and  the  consequent  teaching  was  in- 
fallible—as infallible  as  God   Himself.     We  do  well 
therefore  to  carefully  distinguish  what  Paul  may  have 
thought  as  a  man  and  what  he  actually  did  teach  as  an 
Apostle.     In  the  Bible  we  have  the  record  of  what  he 
taught  as  an  Apostle.     There  are  those  who  think  that 
in  I  Cor.  vii.  6,  25,  "  But  I  speak  this  by  permission, 
not  of  commandment     .     .     .    yet  I  give  my  judgment 


The  Holy  Spirit  in  Prophets  and  Apostles  253 

as  one  that  hath  obtained  mercy  of  the  Lord,"  Paul  ad- 
mits that  he  was  not  sure  in  this  case  that  he  had  the 
word  of  the  Lord.     If  this  be  the  true  interpretation  of 
the  passage  (which  is  more  than  doubtful)  we  see  how 
careful  Paul  was  when  he  was  not  sure  to  note  the  fact 
and  this  gives  us  additional  certainty  in  all  other  pas- 
sages.    It   is  sometimes  said  that  Paul  taught  in  his 
early  ministry  that  the  Lord  would  return  during  his 
lifetime,  and  that  in  this  he  was,  of  course,  mistaken. 
But  Paul  never  taught  anywhere  that  the  Lord  would 
return  in  his  lifetime.     It  is  true  he  says  in  i  Thess. 
iv.  17,  »t  Thtn  we  which  are  alive  and  remain^  shall  be 
caught  up  together  with  them  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the 
air,  and  so  shall  we  ever  be  with  the  Lord."     As  he 
was  still  living  when  he  wrote  the  words,  he  naturally 
and  properly  did  not  inclilde  himself  with  those  who 
had  already  fallen  asleep  in  speaking  of  the  Lord's  re- 
turn.    But  this  is  not  to  assert  that  he  would  remain 
alive   until   the   Lord   came.     Quite  probably  at  this 
period  of  his  ministry  he  entertained  the  hope  that  he 
might  remain  alive  and  consequently  lived  in  an  atti- 
tude of  expectancy,  but  the  attitude  of  expectancy  is 
the  true  attitude  in  all  ages  for  each  believer.     It  Is 
quite  probable   that   Paul  expected  that  he  would  be 
alive  to  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  but  if  he  did  so  ex- 
pect, he  did  not  so  teach.     The  Holy  Spirit  kept  him 
from  this  as  from  all  other  errors  in  his  teachings. 

6.  The  Holy  Spirit  in  the  Apostle  taught  not  only 
the  thought  (or  "  concept ")  iut  the  words  in  whieh  the 
thought  was  to  he  expressed.  We  read  in  i  Cor.  ii.  13, 
A.  R.  v.,  "  Which  things  also  we  speak  not  in  words 


U 


If 


I 


254  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

which  man's  wisdom  teacheth,  but  which  the  Spirit 
teacheth    combining    spiritual    things    with    spiritual 
wtrds."     This  passage  clearly  teaches  that  the  words, 
as  well  as  the  thought,  were  chosen  and  taught  by  the 
Holy  Spirit.     This  is  also  a  necessary  inference  from 
the  fact  that  thought  is  conveyed  from  mind  to  mind 
by  words  and  it  is  the  words  which  express  the  thought, 
and  'f  the  words  were  imperfect,  the  thought  expressed 
in  these  words  would  necessarily  be  imperfect  and  to 
that  extent  be  untrue.     Nothing  could  be  plainer  than 
Paul's  statement  "  in  words  which  the  Spirit  teacheth." 
The  Holy  Spirit  has  Himself  anticipated  all  the  modem 
ingenious  and  wholly  unbiblical  and  false  theories  re- 
garding His  own   work  in  the  Apostles.    The  more 
carefully  and  minutely  we  s^'idy   the  wording  of  the 
statements  of  this  wonderful  Book,  the  more  we  will 
become  convinced  of  the  marvellous  accuracy  of  the 
words  used  to  express  the  thought.     Very  often  the 
solution  of  an  apparent  difficulty  is  found  in  studying 
the  exact  words  used.     The  accuracy,  precision  and 
inerrancy  of  the  exact  words  used  is  amazing.     To  the 
superficial  student,  the  doctrine  of  verbal  inspiration 
may  appear  questionable  or  even  absurd  j  any  regener- 
ated and  Spirit-taught  man,  who  ponders  the  words  of 
the  Scripture  day  after  day  and  year  after  year,  will  be- 
come convinced  that  the  wisdom  of  God  is  m  the  very 
words,  as  well  as  in  the  thought  which  the  words  en- 
deavour to  convey.     A  change  of  a  word,  or  letter,  or 
a  tense,  or  case,  or  numbei,  in  many  instances  would 
land  us  into  contradiction  or  untruth,  but  taking  the 
words  exactly  as  written,  difficulties  disappear  and  truth 


The  Holy  Spirit  in  Prophets  and  Apostles   255 

shines  forth.  The  Divine  origin  of  nature  shines  forth 
more  clearly  in  the  use  of  a  microscope  as  we  see  the 
perfection  of  form  and  adaptation  of  means  to  end  of 
the  minutest  particles  of  matter.  In  a  similar  manner, 
the  Divine  origin  of  the  Bible  shines  forth  more  clearly 
under  the  microscope  as  we  notice  the  perfection  with 
which  the  turn  of  a  word  reveals  the  absolute  thought 
of  God.  * 

But  some  one  may  ask,  "  If  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the 
author  of  the  words  of  Scripture,  how  do  we  account 
for  variations  in  style  and  diction  ?     How  do  we  ex- 
plain for  instance  that  Paul  always  used  Pauline  lan- 
guage and  John  Johannean  language,  etc.  ?  "     The  an- 
swer to  this  is  very  simple.     If  we  could  not  account 
at  all   for  this  fact,  it  would  have  but  little  weight 
against  the  explicit  statement  of  God's  Word  with  any 
one  who  is  humble  enough  and  wise  enough  to  recog- 
nize that  there  are  a  great  many  things  which  he  can- 
not account  for  at  all  which  could  be  easily  accounted 
for  if  he  knew  more.     But  these  variations  ate  easily 
accounted  for.     The  Holy  Spirit  is  quite  wise  enough 
and  has  quite  facility  enough  in  the  use  of  language  in 
revealmg  truth  to  and  through  any  given  individu^,  to 
use  words,  phrases  and  forms  of  expression  and  idioms 
in  that  person's  vocabulary  and  forms  of  thought,  and 
tomake  use  of  that  person's  peculiar  individuality.    In- 
deed, it  IS  a  mark  of  the  Divine  wisdom  of  this  Book 
that  the  same  truth  is  expressed  with  absolute  accuracy 
in  such  widely  variant  forms  of  expression. 

7.     The  utterances  of  the  Apostles  and  the  prophets 
«W  (he   Word  of  Qod.     When  we  read  these  word*, 


n 


ji^^HkI&v 


4 
f 


f 


256  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

we  art  listening  not  to  the  voice  of  man^  but  to  the 

voice  of  Ood  ,    ,  ^  j 

We  read  in  Mark  vii.  13,  "  Making  the  word  •/  Gtd 
of  none  effect,  through  your  tradition,  which  ye  have 
delivered  i  and  many  such  hke  thingt  do  ye."     Jesus 
had  been  setting  the  Uw  given  through  Moses  over 
against  the  Pharisaic  traditions,  and  in  doing  this.  He 
expressly  says  in  this  passage  that  the  law  given  through 
Moses  was  "  the  word  of  God."     In  2  Sam.  xxiii.  2, 
we  read, "  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  spake  by  me,  and 
His  word  was  in  my  tongue."     Here  again  we  are  told 
that  the  utterance  of  God's   prophet  was  the  word  of 
God.     In  a  similar  way  God  says  in  1  Thess.  ii.  13, 
«  For  this  cause  also  thank  we  God  without  ceasing, 
because,  when  ye  received  the  word  of  God  which  ye 
heard  of  us,  ye  received  it  .not  as  the  word  of  men,  but 
as  it  is  in  truth,  the  word  of  God,  which  effectually 
worketh  also  in  you  that  believe."     Here  Paul  declares 
that  the  word  which  he  spoke,  taught  by  the  Spirit  of 
God,  was  the  very  word  of  God. 


fi! 


(.. 


XXII 

The  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  Jesus  Christ 

JESUS  CHRIST  Himself  is  the  one  perfect  mani- 
festation in  history  of  the  complete  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  man. 
I.     Jesus  Christ  was  begotten  of  tht  Holy  Spirit.     We 
read  in  Luke  i.  35,  R.  V.,  "  And  the  angel  answered 
and  said  unto  her.  The  Holy  Ghost  shall  come  upon 
theei  and  the  power  of  the  Most  High  shall  over- 
shadow thee  :  wherefore  also  that  which  is  to  be  born 
shall  be  called  holy,  the  Son  of  God."     As  wc  have 
already  seen,  in  regeneration  the  believer  is  begotten  of 
God,  but  Jesus  Christ  was  begotten  of  God  in  His 
original  generation.     He  is  the  only  begotten  Son  of 
God  (John  iii.  16).     It  was  entirely  by  the  Spirit's 
power  working  in   Mary  that  the  Son   of  God  was 
formed  within  her.    The  regenerated  man  has  a  carnal 
nature  received  from  his  earthly  father  and  a  new  na- 
ture imparted  by  God.     Jesus  Christ  had  only  the  one 
holy  nature,  that  which  in  man  is  called  the  new  nature. 
Nevertheless,  He  was  a  real  man  as  He  had  a  human 
mother. 

2.  Jesus  Christ  led  a  holy  and  spotless  life  and  offered 
Himself  without  spot  to  God  through  the  working  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  We  read  in  Heb.  ix.  14, "  How  much 
more  shall  the  blood  of  Christ,  who  through  the  eternal 

257 


258  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 


:l1    i': 


I..  •■# 


.1" 


ir-: 


Spirit  offtrtd  Himself  without  spot  to  Gody  purge  your  con- 
science from  dead  works  to  serve  the  living  God." 
Jesus  Christ  met  and  overcame  temptations  as  other 
men  may  meet  and  overcome  them,  in  the  power  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  He  was  tempted  and  suffered  through 
temptation  (Heb.  Ui.  18),  He  was  tempted  in  all 
points  like  as  we  are  (Heb.  iv.  15),  but  never  once  in 
any  way  did  He  yield  to  temptation.  He  was  tempted 
entirely  apart  from  sin  (Heb.  iv.  15),  but  He  won  His 
victories  in  a  way  that  is  open  for  all  of  us  to  win  vic- 
tory, in  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

3.  Jisus  Christ  was  anointed  and  fitted  for  service  by 
the  Holy  Spirit.  We  read  in  Acts  x.  38,  "  How  God 
anointed  Jesus  of  Nazareth  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
with  power:  who  went  about  doing  good,  and  healing 
all  that  were  oppressed  of  the  devil ;  for  God  was  with 
Him."  In  a  prophetic  vision  of  the  coming  Messiah 
in  the  Old  Testament  we  read  in  Isa.  Ixi.  i,  **  lH/e 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  God  is  upon  m«,  because  the  Lord  hath 
anointed  me  to  preach  good  tidings  unto  the  meek; 
He  hath  sent  me  to  bind  up  the  broken-hearted,  to 
proclaim  liberty  to  the  captives,  and  the  opening  of  the 
prison  to  them  that  are  bound."  In  Luke's  record  of 
the  earthly  life  of  our  Lord  in  Luke  iv.  14,  we  read 
"  And  Jesus  returned  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit  into 
Galilee,  and  there  went  out  a  fame  of  Him  through  all 
the  region  round  about."  In  a  similar  way  Jesus  said 
of  Himself  when  speaking  in  the  synagogue  in 
Nazareth,  "  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  Me,  be- 
cause He  hath  anointed  Me  to  preach  good  tidings  unto 
the  poor }  He  hath  sent  Me  to  proclaim  release  to  tfas 


$l< 


Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  Jesus  Christ    259 

captives,  and  recovering  of  sight  to  the  blind,  to  set  at 
liberty  them  that  are  bruised,  to  proclaim  the  acceptable 
year  of  the  Lord  "  (Luke  iv.  18,  19,  R.  V.).  AU 
these  passages  contain  the  one  lesson,  that  it  was  by  the 
especial  anointing  with  the  Holy  Spirit  that  Jesus 
Christ  was  qualified  for  the  service  to  which  God  had 
called  Him.  As  He  stood  in  the  Jordan  after  His 
baptism,  "The  Holy  Ghost  descended  in  a  bodily 
shape  like  a  dove  upon  Him,"  and  it  was  then  and 
there  that  He  was  anointed  with  the  Holy  Spirit, 
baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  equipped  for  the 
service  that  lay  before  Him.  Jesus  Christ  received 
His  equipment  for  service  in  the  same  way  that  we  re- 
ceive ours  by  a  definite  baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 

4.  Jtiui  Christ  was  led  by  tht  Holy  Spirit  in  Hit 
movements  here  upon  earth.  We  read  in  Luke  iv.  I, 
R.  v.,  «  And  Jesus  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  returned  from 
Jordan  and  was  led  by  the  Spirit  in  the  wilderness." 
Living  as  a  man  here  upon  earth  and  setting  an  ex- 
ample for  us,  each  step  of  His  life  was  under  the  Holy 
Spirit's  guidance. 

5.  Jesus  Christ  was  taught  by  the  Spirit  who  retted 
upon  Him.  The  Spirit  0/ God  was  the  source  of  Hit 
wisdom  in  the  days  of  His  flesh.  In  the  Old  Testament 
prophecy  of  the  coming  Messiah  we  read  in  Isa.  xi. 
2,  3,  "  And  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  shall  rest  upon  Him^ 
the  spirit  of  wisdom  and  understanding,  the  spirit  of 
counsel  and  might,  the  spirit  of  knowledge  and  of  the 
fear  of  the  Lord.  And  shall  make  Him  of  quick  un- 
derstanding in  the  fear  of  the  Lord:  and  He  shall  not 
judge  after  the  sight  of  His  eyes,  neither  reprove  after 


'•M 


260  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

the  hearing  of  His  ears."  Further  on  in  ha.  xlii. 
I,  R.  v.,  we  read,  "  Behold  My  servant,  whom  I  up- 
hold; My  chosen  in  whom  My  soul  delighteth;  / 
bavt  put  My  Spirit  upon  Him ;  He  shall  bring  forth 
judgment  to  the  Gentiles,  etc."  Matthew  tells  us  in 
Matt.  xii.  17,  18,  that  this  prophecy  was  fulfilled  in 
Jesus  of  Nazareth. 

6.  Tbi  Holy  Spirit  abode  upon  Jesus  in  all  His  full- 
ness and  tbe  words  He  spoke  in  consequence  were  tbe  very 
words  of  God.  We  read  in  John  iii.  34,  R.  V.,  "  For 
He  whom  God  hath  sent  speaketb  tbe  words  of  God:  for 
He  giveth  not  the  Spirit  by  measure." 

7.  Jfter  His  resurrection.,  Jesus  Cbrist  gave  com- 
mandment unto  His  Apostles  whom  He  bad  chosen  through 
the  Holy  Spirit.  We  read  in  Acts  i.  2, "  Until  the  day 
in  which  He  was  taken  up,  after  that  He  through  tbe 
Holy  Ghost  had  given  commandment  unto  the  Apostles 
whom  He  had  chosen."  This  relates  to  the  time 
afte^  His  resurrection  and  so  we  see  Jesus  still  working 
in  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  even  after  His  resurrec- 
tion from  the  dead. 

8.  Jesus  Christ  wrought  His  miracles  here  on  earth 
in  tbe  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  In  Matt.  xii.  28,  we 
read,  "  I  cast  out  devils  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit  of 
God."  It  is  through  the  Spirit  that  miracle  working 
power  was  given  to  some  in  the  church  after  our  Lord's 
departure  from  this  earth  (i  Cor.  xii.  9,  10),  and  in  the 
power  of  the  same  Spirit,  Jesus  Christ  wrought  His 

miracles. 

9.  //  was  by  the  power  of  tbe  Holy  Spirit  that  Jesus 
Christ  was  raised  from  tbe  dead.    We  read  in  Rom. 


Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  Jesus  Christ    261 

viii.  u,  "  But  if  the  Spirit  of  Him  that  raised  up  Jesut 
from  the  dead  dwell  in  you.  He  that  raised  up  Christ 
from  the  dead  shall  also  quicken  your  mortal  bodies 
by  His  Spirit  that  dwelleth  in  you." 

The  same  Spirit  who  is  to  quicken  our  mortal  bodies 
and  is  to  raise  us  up  in  some  future  day  raised  up 
Jesus. 

Several  things  are  plainly  evident  from  this  study  of 
the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  Jesus  Christ : 

First  of  all,  we  see  the  completeness  of  His  human- 
ity. He  lived  and  He  thought.  He  worked.  He  taught, 
He  conquered  sin  and  won  victories  for  God  in  the 
power  of  that  very  same  Spirit  whom  it  is  our  privilege 
also  to  have. 

In  the  second  place,  we  see  our  own  utter  depend- 
ence upon  the  Holy  Spirit.  If  it  was  in  the  power  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  that  Jesus  Christ,  the  only  begotten 
Son  of  God,  lived  and  worked,  achieved  and  triumphed, 
how  much  more  dependent  are  we  upon  Him  at  every 
turn  of  life  and  in  every  phase  of  service  and  every  ex- 
perience of  conflict  with  Satan  and  sin. 

The  third  thing  that  is  evident  is  the  wondrous 
world  of  privilege,  blessing  and  victory  and  conquest 
that  is  open  to  us.  The  same  Spirit  by  which  Jesus 
was  originally  begotten,  is  at  our  disposal  for  us  to  be 
begotten  again  of  Him.  The  same  Spirit  by  which 
Jesus  offered  Himself  without  spot  to  God  is  at  our 
disposal  that  we  also  may  ofFer  ourselves  without  spot 
to  Him.  The  same  Spirit  by  which  Jesus  was  anointed 
for  service  is  at  our  disposal  that  we  may  be  anointed 
for  service.     The  same  Spirit  who  led  Jesus  Christ  in 


262  The  Person  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

Hit  movements  here  on  earth  is  ready  to  lead  us  to- 
day. The  same  Spirit  who  taught  Jesus  and  imparted 
to  Him  wisdom  and  understanding,  counsel  and  might, 
and  knowledge  and  the  fear  of  the  Lord  is  here  to  teach 
us.  Jesus  Christ  is  our  pattern  (i  John  ii.  6), "  the 
first  born  among  many  brethren "  (Rom.  viii.  29). 
Whatever  He  realized  through  the  Holy  Spirit  is  for 
us  to  realize  also  to-day. 


}     81 


I 


' 


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